The A-1 Al
by tclemens
Summary: Alfred Jones lives in New York City, during possibly the most thrilling ages the metropolis has ever known: the Roaring Twenties. However, unlike the thousands of young Americans chasing the American Dream, he IS the American Dream. He just takes it day by day; that is, until a certain someone enters his life, and sends it all spiraling gloriously, thrillingly out of control.
1. Chapter 1

The Roaring Twenties. An age of cars, jazz, speakeasies, flappers, cities, dancing, and most importantly, dreams. The old, as the old always does, worried for the future, and spoke of an immoral age to come, one that bore no resemblance to their own. They worried for their grandchildren, their children, and for all of those in the younger generation. However, the twenty-year olds of the twenties did not share their elders' concerns.

Neither did their country. If a life of 140-plus years had taught him anything, it was that times were always changing, yet at the same time, much still remained stubbornly stagnant. However, you couldn't blame them; it's not as if they had any means of knowing what he did, or any way to see and experience the years of their forefathers, and compare it to their own.

Yep, times were changing, but America still was America. Those stars and stripes that had seen so much over such a short period, would continue on to see much, much more.

Matthew was contemplating why in the world they were calling it "the Roaring Twenties" when he heard the most wretched groan emanate from the bathroom of his brother's apartment.

" _Oh_ ," he thought to himself. " _I guess that's why_." He strode over the door and knocked softly. "You alive in there?"

"Barely," Alfred groaned.

"I told you to go easy on the drinks," Matthew lectured. "In fact, I remember not even wanting to go into that sketchy hole-in-the-ground. But noooo. Someone just had to be an irresponsible moron."

"Oh, catch a breeze on outta here and get off my back, will ya?" Alfred retorted sourly. "Besides, don't you have a moose to wrestle or something?"

"We've talked about this, I'm leaving tomorrow. Try remembering what comes out of my mouth every once in a while, eh?" Matthew snapped back.

Faint chuckles could be heard coming from the bathroom. "Aboot," Alfred giggled. His laughter was abruptly cut off by the sound of him upchucking into the john. Matthew sighed and shook his head. He went into Alfred's bedroom and returned with his bathrobe.

Matthew creaked the door open a smidge, and tossed the bathrobe inside. "Here, throw on the housecoat, and meet me in the kitchen once you're all cleaned up. I'll make some breakfast."

"Housecoat?" Alfred muttered in confusion. "Oh, you mean a bathrobe."

"Eh, who cares. I just don't want to see you in your gitches."

"Okay, now you're just speaking gibberish."

"And now I'm not listening!" Matthew stormed away into the kitchen.

Al listened to his footsteps pad away from the door, and then laid down on the cool tile of the bathroom. His headed pounded, his mouth felt dry, and the lights burned his retinas. Still, despite his discomfort, he still managed a weak smile. Matthew could deny it all he wants; last night was copacetic.

Matthew resisted the whole way there, spouting off some nonsense about how it was 'illegal', and 'wrong.' Alfred waved him off, continuing to drag him along.

"Here we are! The most lively juice joint in New York City!" Al exclaimed jubilantly.

Matthew eyed the speakeasy suspiciously, taking note of the sketchy alleyway, cracked stone, and weakly lit signage. "What's so special about this place again?"

"What's so special about this place?! Why, Matthew, you of all people should know not to judge a book by its cover! It's the ritziest joint in the neighborhood! It'll knock your socks off! Plus, one of my favorite bands is playing here tonight, so..."

Matthew gave the building one more sideways look, and sighed, shaking his head. "Fine. But a few ground rules. One, don't ditch me. This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies. Two, please, please go easy on the booze. I do not want a repeat of that nightmare of going with you and Arthur to that pub.

"Oh c'mon, that was mostly Arthur-"

"-And finally, please, for the love of god, do not use the twin routine."

"The twin routine?"

"When you get tired of a girl and convince her I'm you. I've got my eye on you."

"Alright, alright!" Al threw his hands up in surrender. "Stop being such a wet blanket, and let loose a little! Maybe even try to find yourself a little American Jane to keep you company for the night, hm?"

Matthew gave a non-committal grunt, and the two went inside.

The door hinged open to reveal a desolate, abandoned lobby. Matthew stared at it in confusion until Alfred whispered, "Matthew! Over here!"

Alfred stood in front of a door hidden away off to the right, its glass pane dirty and cracked in several places. He twisted the knob and pushed his shoulder into it until it finally gave way with an awful shudder, revealing a well-kept stairway. Music could be faintly heard coming from down below.

"C'mon!" Al said gleefully, bounding towards the steps, Matthew following wearily.

The steps, unlike the rest of the building, were clean, and the walls were freshly painted and decorated with mirrors and paintings. Al stopped for a second to push his hair back and straighten his bow tie. Flashing a jubilant smile at Matthew, he strode inside, with his brother in tow.

The first thing Matthew noticed was that it was packed with people. A band could just barely be distinguished on a small stage in the corner, their shiny instruments glinting under the lights. A bar ran along the right side of the long room, and on the left side small tables and chairs were crammed along the wall. In the center was a throng of dancing men and women, moving with the rhythm without a care in the world. Some milled about a couple of couches jammed into the back right corner; their cigarette smoke wafting into the air. Mirrors reflected the whirlwind of human activity, making it almost seem like there was double the amount of people. Already Matthew felt a little bit uncomfortable; he tended to not be one for crowded spaces and large mobs of people. However, his twin brother gazed upon the scene with a delighted twinkle in his eye, and tore off to join the crowd, leaving Matthew with no choice but to follow.

Al bee-lined straight to the bar, managing to find a big enough space for the two of them to wedge in. Matthew could barely hear what he was saying to the bartender. A few minutes later, two shot glasses appeared in front of them. Al picked his up.

"Cheers!" Al said joyously, and the brothers slammed them down.

"Okay, so now what?" Matthew asked, his eyes watering a bit.

"Whatever!" Al exclaimed excitedly. "Drink, smoke, socialize, dance, whatever's your pleasure! Let loose!" He gestured to the bartender for another round. "I for one, am going to indulge on some of the sweet nectar I have been refused for so long."

"Al, go easy. I don't want-"

"Relax! At most I'll get an edge, don't fret." He slammed another shot. "We drinking our night away, or you wanna go mingle?"

Matthew whacked down his shot, and then looked around the room. "Well, I guess a little socializing can't hurt, eh?"

Alfred whacked him on the back. "That's the spirit!" They left the bar, and sauntered towards the dance floor.

The brothers sat down at one of the small tables at the edge of the dance floor, looking for straggling hoofers to dance with. Matthew was observing two pretty dark haired flappers over at the couches, when suddenly Alfred tapped him on the shoulder.

Al gave a low whistle. "Would you look at that Sheba."

Matthew couldn't help but agree. The girl Al was referring to was quite beautiful. Her bright auburn hair gleamed under the lights along with the sequins in her dress, and her crystal blue-green eyes shone with youthful vibrancy. She sat alone, and apparently bored; her long creamy legs crossed, and her brightly colored lips pressed in a neutral expression.

"She's stunning, Al," Matthew remarked, turning back to his brother, only to find him gone, already on the move. Matthew sighed disappointedly. Rule number one was already out the window. " _Oh well_ ," he thought to himself. " _I can still carve out a good time, I guess_." He got up and made his way over to the couches where the dark-haired beauties were sitting, gently inquiring about the availability of the remaining seat.

"Hello, doll. You alone tonight?" Al asked the Sheba.

Her bright blue-green eyes darted up at him, taking him in. "Depends. Level with me darling, you here for my kisser or my gams?"

"I'm just here for a couple of drinks and a dance or two, doll," Al replied, a little thrown off guard and trying desperately not to show it. "How about I take you for a spin down the floor, and show you?"

She considered it for a moment, and then shrugged. "Why not? Better than sitting here all night."

"That's the spirit, doll," Al smiled, taking her hand and guiding her to the dance floor.

The band began to play an uppity song, and the whole floor began to move with a renewed energy. Bodies spun and shook and twisted, sequins and sweat glimmered under the lights, but it would've been a miracle if Al noticed any of it. He was transfixed with the young sheba swirling in front of him, her colored, full lips turned upward in a self-assured, cocky little grin. She moved with grace, yet stilled possessed an element of liveliness. She was beautifully put together in her glad rags, and yet she still gave off an impression of authenticity that so many girls lacked under their masks of makeup. Al had seen a century worth of girls, and yet this one had him intrigued beyond measure.

After a few songs the both of them were breathless, so they made their way to the bar. They sat down, Al ordered drinks, and then turned back to the sheba. "So, you believe me now?" he asked with a smirk.

She laughed and gave a nod. "I don't think I've ever been spun around like that. Though, I should probably know the name of the man I'm putting so much faith in."

"Name's Al. Though I should probably know the name of the dame whose trust is in my tender care."

"Lillian, but I prefer Lily. I think it fits me better."

"I'd have to agree Lily. The extra syllable can really weigh down a person."

She laughed her tinkling laugh again, which like the rest of her, was full of life.

"You think I'm joking?" Al said incredulously, despite the goofy grin on his face. "My brother's name is Matthew. Doesn't go by Matt, or Mattie, or anything fun. And let me tell you, it's changed him permanently. Can't have any fun, no matter how hard he tries." Al finished off his speech with a mockingly sorrowfull shake of his head. "Tis a shame."

Lily was laughing uncontrollably. "Ah, you're slaying me!"

"Tsk, and I was hoping to have a few more hours of fun," Al said with mock disappointment.

The bartender placed their drinks down in front of them. "A toast," Al announced, "to a fun night full of good times."

"Cheers," Lily responded, clinking their glasses together.

They chatted as they drank, and Al caught Matt's eye as Matt walked up to the bar further down the counter, and winked. Matt smiled in response, and walked away, balancing not one, not two, but three drinks in his hands. Al couldn't help but chuckle to himself. " _Guess that Canadian accent is getting him places_ ," he mused.

And so the night whirled by, Al and Lily alternating between dancing, drinking, chatting, and dancing again. They exchanged stories and ideas, they told jokes, they laughed, and most importantly, they had fun. Al learned that Lily was currently living with her aunt in the city, and worked as a waitress in her aunt and uncle's diner. She had been raised in a small, rural town in Pennsylvania, and her dad was a country vet. She left for the same reason many young people left the homes they had known for most of their lives; she had left for an adventure.

"It's just, I know there's so much more out there, and I just want to see it so bad, you know?" she explained. "I want experiences. But that's just the Dumb Dora in me talking."

"Not at all," Alfred consoled. "The world's a cool place. We're young, we're free, why shouldn't we try to have a thrill while we still can? As long as you remember at the end of the day that America's the best place on earth, then there's nothing wrong with wanting to travel."

She laughed again. "You ever been anywhere?"

"Oh yeah, I've been to tons of places," he replied.

"Tell me about them," she requested wistfully.

Alfred launched into a whole new bout of stories, from the pubs in England, to the food in Italy, and who could forget the German marketplaces in the wintertime. Lily listened intently, absorbing every word he said.

Finally, looking at the clock, she announced that she had to leave. Al felt his heart wrench. He didn't want it to end. The night had been like a dream, and now came the alarm clock. "Well, let me walk you out, at least. Want me to get you a cab?"

"No, no, I'm fine. It's a really short walk, actually. Though maybe I should get you a cab," she said, seeing him get unsteadily onto his feet.

"Nah, my brother's here, and it's a short jaunt to the apartment." They walked over to an over encumbered coat rack, and he helped her into her coat. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said, a sad note edging into his voice.

Lily leaned forward, and kissed him on the cheek. She began to make her way up the stairs, but hesitated on her way up. She turned around. "The diner I work at. It's called An American's Diner, and it's just five blocks up from here. I work mornings Tuesday through Saturday. I'd love to see you there sometime."

"And I'd love to stop by sometime," Al responded enthusiastically.

"Well then, see you around!" she then scurried up the stairs.

"See you!" he called after her. She disappeared out of sight, and with a sigh, Alfred wandered back to the bar for one last drink.

Al surveyed the joint, trying to spot Matthew. He finally located him sitting on one of the couches, a cig in his mouth, and a girl under each arm. Al made his way towards him.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" Matthew announced upon seeing Al stagger towards him. The dark haired flappers laughed besides him. "I remember you saying you were going to take it easy tonight."

"I did! I'm just a bit edged," he slurred.

"A bit edged!" one of the flappers exclaimed. "Says you! He's downright jazzed!"

"Absolutely fried to the hat!" laughed the other.

"Well, I do apologize girls, but I'm gonna have to drag this boozehound home. If you're ever in Vancouver, do try to find me," he said, getting up. He took his cig out of his mouth, and leaned in, both girls smooching him on the cheek.

Matthew found their coats, and they began to make their way home. It was slow going, as Al wasn't quite steady on his feet, and kept having to lean on Matthew for support. Just as he had grumbled the whole way there, Matthew complained the whole way back too.

"You just ditched me! Three rules, and you broke two of 'em! Now I have to drag your hoser-"

"Butt me, would ya?" Al interrupted.

Sighing in irritation, Matthew pulled out a cigarette and a lighter, and handed it to Al. He lit it with unsteady hands, handed the lighter back to Matthew, and took a long draw.

"Mattie, I think I'm goofy."

"You don't say."

Al shook his head. "Not like that. I'm stuck on that dame like no other. She's got me in quite a spot." Al started giggling.

Matthew looked at Al worriedly. "Well, be careful, eh? People like us, well, we don't exactly have the luxury of getting too attached."

"I don't care, Mattie. I just don't care." Al let out a long puff.

They reached the lobby of Al's apartment. "Well, we'll see how you feel in the morning. For now, I better put you to bed." They slowly made their way up the stairs to Al's floor, and made it into the apartment. They finished off their cigarettes, Alfred stumbled into his room, took off his clothes, and passed out in bed.

As Matthew got ready for his night on the couch, he wondered just how serious Al was about this girl. He'd been there before, but Matthew had always possessed enough sense to snap himself out of it. "It could only spell heartache," he'd tell himself. The thing that worried him, was that Alfred was naturally reckless. He'd take the plunge without a second thought, and end up hurting himself badly.

" _Worrying won't do anything_ ," Matthew reminded himself. " _Who knows? Maybe things will work out. You never know._ " He turned out the light, and tried to fall asleep, unsuccessful in warding off his worries.


	2. Chapter 2

Alfred finished up in the bathroom, threw on the bathrobe, and padded out into the kitchen.

"Hey Matthew, do you know-" Alfred stopped in disbelief, his jaw gaping.

Matthew was no where to be found in the kitchen, however, in his place, was the largest stack of pancakes Alfred had ever seen. It towered a solid four feet above Alfred's head; leaning precariously towards one side. Alfred didn't think that hallucinations were a side effect of hangovers, but he supposed there was a first for everything.

Suddenly a little curl popped into view towards the upper part of the stack, and Alfred walked around the stack to see Matthew standing on a chair, a spatula with a pancake in hand. With the utmost care and precision, he slid the pancake onto the top, as if building an extremely tall card tower. He then ever so gently and slowly, shifted down from his chair, and stood, admiring his handiwork.

"That was the last one!" he announced cheerfully. "Ready to eat?"

Alfred gave the stack a wary glance. He figured he better leave serving breakfast to Matthew. "Sure."

A minute later, two glasses of orange juice, a thing of butter, syrup, and two overflowing plates of pancakes were sitting on the table, with their respective owners. Alfred groaned and clutched his head, which was throbbing painfully. Matthew made a little disapproving grunt, and then began to plow through his pancakes.

They ate in silence; Matthew not knowing what to say, and Alfred too miserable from his hangover to start anything resembling a conversation. Finally, Matthew cleared his throat, and Alfred looked up, bleary eyed over his forkful of pancake.

"So, do we have any plans for anything today?" he asked politely.

Alfred rubbed his aching forehead. "Well, of course everything is up in the air, but I thought maybe you and I could do a little bit of sightseeing in the city. Go see the Empire State building, maybe the Statue of Liberty; that sort of stuff."

"Sounds fun. But I understand if you'd rather stay home for the day," Matthew offered, seeing the sheer amount of discomfort his brother was in.

Alfred sighed. "No, no, you came out all this way, I really shouldn't make you spend a day of it cramped up in this place."

Matthew sighed. "Fine. But before you start whining later on, remember that I offered, eh?"

Alfred waved him off. "Besides, I've already made dinner plans with Henry for tonight. He didn't want to pass the opportunity to see you."

"See me?" Matthew repeated incredulously. He had met Henry briefly several times, but he certainly didn't feel like they were particularly good friends or anything.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's more a play to try and get a little bit of the inside scoop on a few things," Alfred mused. "Anyways, we better start cleaning up if we want to get a move on."

Matthew nodded in agreement, and the two began clearing the table. An enormous amount of pancakes were thrown into Alfred's brand new fridge, with Alfred's promise that he'd have them later for a 'little snack'. Matthew felt a little bad about burdening him with the leftovers, but there was nothing that could be done otherwise. When he was nervous or worried about something, he tended to express his anxiety through making massive amounts of pancakes. He figured it must be some kind of stress relief or something. He'd spent the whole morning trying to see if Alfred had retained some of the sentiments he had expressed the previous night, but to no avail. He was so unpredictable, it made him hard to read, at times. Matthew brushed aside his worries, and put away the last of the clean dishes. The brothers got dressed, grabbed their coats and hats, and headed out.

They walked to Alfred's car parked on the street, and drove off towards the Empire State Building. Matthew noticed that Alfred was scanning the buildings lining the street, but Matthew didn't know what to make of it. He shrugged it off, and began taking in more of the city.

Matthew had been to New York multiple times, but this last trip had certainly been an eye opener for him. The city had grown not only bigger, but in a way, more lively and eccentric. People bustled everywhere, shops lined the streets, and signs and flyers advertised performances, theatres, restaurants, and new fangled inventions. Buildings had grown taller and more ornate, and some towered at impressive heights, especially the metropolis' newest great work of architecture, the Empire State Building. Matthew could just make it out by craning his neck; it towered impressively over the city, boasting its greatness along with the success and pride of all of the United States. Matthew could almost swear that he felt the presence of the hopes and dreams of these people as it mixed with the air and environment itself.

They parked, and walked around the huge skyscraper, Matthew taking in every inch of it. It certainly was pretty impressive, and as they went inside, he couldn't help but admire how flawlessly they had incorporated the new styles of the era.

They spent about an hour and a half touring the Empire State Building and the neighboring streets and establishments besides it. Alfred then drove them to the outskirts of the city in order to get a good glimpse of the statue, not feeling up to the effort of boarding a ferry to get up close. Matthew had seen it before, but it was fascinating to him as the years progressed how it slowly became tinged greener and greener. It was almost entirely that bright blue-green now, yet no less beautiful and proud. Matthew had to hand it to Francis, this one hundred year birthday present certainly beat the one he got Alfred. Though sometimes Matthew wondered if Alfred got more of a kick out of that taxidermy moose than this giant, artistic masterpiece attesting to the values of his nation. A mental image of a giant copper moose was conjured within his mind, and he couldn't help but chuckle, leading him to receive a sideways look from Alfred.

They grabbed a late lunch at a small diner, and made small talk. Matthew was enjoying himself immensely. He had forgotten all about the concerns that had plagued him last night, and now for the first time in a long while, could truly let loose and relax.

They found various other activities to fill the time, and before Matthew knew it, it was time to return to Alfred's apartment to get changed for dinner with Henry. They changed into their dinner attire, and once again went out into the city.

They arrived at the restaurant, which was very ritzy. Men and women, all dressed in their absolute best, filed inside the well-furnished, exquisite establishment. Alfred was tugging at his bow tie, a little grumpy that Henry's choice of venue required him to be stuck inside his stuffy tuxedo. Matthew couldn't blame him. He certainly would rather be in his old slacks and shirt than this any day.

As he looked around the waiting room as they waited for Henry, who was presumably running a few minutes late, a thought occurred to Matthew.

"Hey Al."

"Hm?"

"How is Henry able to afford to eat at places like this? I didn't think that your states were this well paid." Matthew wondered.

"They're not. Your guess is as good as mine as to how he's able to live like this," Alfred responded flatly. "Sure, they get a nice paycheck for managing certain affairs like I do, and some do work odd jobs on the side for a little extra cash."

"You think he's gotten into a more... lucrative business?" Matthew inquired hesitantly.

Al shrugged. "Perhaps. Heck, it could be a side effect from the growth of the city-he is pretty closely tied to it after all. Maybe he just came into some inheritance, or had a lot of savings he's finally cashing in. Mary Ann is undergoing a similar thing with Chicago, too. I try not to think much of it," Al admitted. "And speak of the devil!"

Matthew looked up to see Henry make his way towards them. He certainly had changed within the last couple of years. He walked with confidence, exuding high taste and class. His thick brown hair was carefully combed, parted, and slicked, and his clothes were well tailored, and made out of expensive fabric. His olive green eyes scanned the waiting room until finally noticing Alfred's frantic waving, and he began sauntering towards them, his impeccable black suit giving a sort of luster off from the lights.

"Henry! How are you doing, you old cat?" Alfred exclaimed, heartily shaking his hand.

"I'm doing quite well," Henry responded politely. "I'm glad you two were able to make it. Matthew, it's nice to see you again. It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Quite," Matthew responded with the same indifferent courtesy, politely shaking hands with him as well. "Should we head to our table?" he suggested.

"Of course," Henry responded. They headed to the host's podium. "Reservation under Henry Morris, please."

The host flipped through his book, found the name, and showed them to their table. Water glasses were filled, and menus placed on the table.

"Any suggestions, Henry?" Al asked.

"I personally am a fan of their steak, but really you can't go wrong on this menu," Henry stated matter-of-factly.

"Sounds good to me!" Alfred exclaimed. He set his menu down, and stared up at the chandelier glistening above. "Man, Henry, you really picked a swanky joint! I feel like I'm in Francis' house!" he laughed.

"Speaking of Francis, how is he coping these days?" Henry asked nonchalantly, not even looking up from his menu.

"Ah, well, he's..." Alfred faltered for words.

"He's doing well, all things considered," Matthew said briefly. "Nobody is swell, but the recovery should be swift, and things are on the rise." Alfred shot Matthew a look of thanks. The answer had been just enough to satisfy the question, and yet didn't contain too many details. Matthew never fully understood why Alfred didn't like his states knowing too much about the rest of the world's issues, but he certainly could sympathize witht the difficulties that arose with managing them all.

"And Arthur?" Henry asked further.

"Oh, Arthur is doing great!" Alfred answered enthusiastically. "I'm probably going to take a trip to go see him next month, and take care of a little bit of business out there. But, yeah, from what I've heard from him, things are going well on his end."

Matthew knew that wasn't entirely truthful. Sure, compared to the rest of Europe, he wasn't doing too badly, but the last time Matthew had gone for a visit, he had looked quite haggard and stressed.

"I'm glad to hear it," Henry smiled. "I haven't seen him since, well, since I got this old birthmark." He gestured to a small scar under his left eye.

Before he could launch into the history of the faint mark, their waiter arrived to take their order. Alfred and Henry ordered the steak, while Matthew ordered some fish. The waiter wrote it down, and disappeared into the kitchen.

"So other than work, what have you been up to?" Alfred asked Henry.

"Ah, nothing really. Went on a fishing trip with Will last week, but other than that work's kept me pretty busy. You?"

"Same, though Mattie's visit has given me an excuse to let loose a little for once," Alfred replied cheerfully.

"What sort of things have you two done so far?" he asked, turning to Matthew.

"Well, the other day we caught a film, and today we went to see the Empire State Building and Lady Liberty, but other than that, we've just been kicking around the city," Matthew responded meekly, not knowing quite how else to answer the question.

"You forgot all about the club, Mattie!" Al turned to Henry. "We went to that juice joint a few blocks from my apartment, you know the one?"

"I do, yes," Henry confirmed.

"It was quite the night, wouldn't you say, Mattie?"

Matthew shrugged. "I enjoyed myself, but I'd say you got more of a kick out of it than I did."

"True. That Lily was quite some fun," Alfred said wistfully. "You wouldn't believe just how beautiful this sheba was, Henry. Alfred let out an appreciative whistle.

Henry raised an eyebrow, and the worries that had plagued Matthew all last night and this morning, flooded back.

"Apparently she works at that little diner down the street, The American's Diner. I'm thinking of popping over there for breakfast tomorrow and following up with her, if you know what I mean," he said with a devilish smile.

"Well, sounds like a fun distraction from the daily grind," Henry contributed. Matthew felt his stomach tighten as he heard his brother go on and on about this girl. His earlier concerns could've been dismissed easily as reading too far into a comment uttered by a drunken moron, but now, well, to the furthest of Matthew's knowledge, his brother was as close to a normal state of mind as he could ever get.

Dinner plates came and went, along with Matthew's peace of mind. He was quiet for most of the conversation, only really chipping in when invited by an inquiry of some sort, as he was very distracted by his fretting. Al discussed possible venues to take his new beau, ways to invite her, and his general excitement for this new conquest. Matthew couldn't tell if Henry shared any of his concerns, as that passive, suave face never seemed to lose its composure. An eyebrow was raised here and there, but the depth of meaning behind such a miniscule expression was anyone's guess. It reminded Matthew of all the times he had to interact with Ned, usually for business purposes. The same passive face would regard him from the other side of the bargaining table, leaving Matthew with no means of inferring whether or not he was successfully completing his goal.

Dessert plates were cleared, the check was jostled among the three men, until victory was awarded to Henry through gentle reasoning that one just could not refute. The conversation slowly died, just as the candles on the table slowly but surely burned out.

Coats were retrieved, and Al shook Henry's hand heartily, thanking him for an amazing night, and promising to 'try and do this again sometime.' Matthew did the same, though probably not as vigorously, and Al turned to head outside.

"Oh! Al!" Matthew blurted out suddenly. "I think they mixed up my coat. Go on ahead, I'll get it sorted out and meet you outside."

"I can wait for you here, Matt, it's no problem," Al responded quizzically.

"It's really crowded, and you're probably dying for a smoke right about now," Matthew reasoned, desperately trying to bluff his plan into action. "Go on ahead, I can take care of it."

Al shrugged, and walked outside. Matthew let out a breath of relief, and looked over at Henry, who was watching the scene while he waited for the host to call him a cab, with an eyebrow raised once again. Matthew gestured for him to come closer, and Henry excused himself from the host, and strode his way over to Matthew.

"Is everything fine?" he asked.

Matthew hesitated before speaking. "I need to ask a favor of you, Henry."

Once again the trademark eyebrow raise made an appearance.

"All this talk from Al about this girl, well, I'm worried he's going to get carried away and end up hurting himself," Matthew admitted.

Henry inclined his head in a form of agreement. "I can see why you would be concerned, but I don't think there really is all that much to worry about. It's a girl he barely knows, that he'll probably take on one or two dates, have his thrill with, and then he'll move back to his reality. I think it could be good for him to change things up for once, and get away from the rat race for a bit. A little fun can't hurt."

"But you're forgetting that it's Al we're talking about here." Matthew ran his hand through his hair anxiously. "He's never one to recognize boundaries. There's no way anything of that sort could work out for him, but you'll never be able to convince him of that. He won't just take a break from the rat race, he'll try to break free from it, and remake it the way he thinks it should be."

"It's a girl he's spent one night with, and hasn't even formally taken out. I think it's too early to make such predictions, Matthew," Henry consoled. "I say let things play out, and if there's an issue, we can intervene. Until then, why lose sleep over something that hasn't even happened yet."

"Yeah, you're right I suppose," he sighed. "It's just... close relationships with humans never work out well for people like us. I've seen it happen to many of our peers, and I guess I jumped the gun and panicked. Just, could you at least promise to keep an eye on him for me? Just try and make sure he doesn't go too far with this?"

"If it'll put you at ease, sure," Henry accepted flatly.

"Thank you, Henry. I better go catch up to him. Have a good night," Matthew parted.

"Goodnight Matthew. Have a safe trip back home." Henry made his way back to the hosts' table.

Al was waiting by a lamppost a little ways down the street, a cig clenched in his teeth and his back leaned up against the pole. Upon seeing Matthew, he waved, and pulled out another cigarette and a lighter, fixing Matthew up before making their way back to the apartment.

They quietly finished off their cigarettes in the living area, bow ties loosed, buttons partially undone, and jackets off. Tomorrow morning would be an early one; Al would drive Matthew to the dock, where his boat would be ready to depart by six o'clock sharp. Trunks, of course, still needed to be repacked and stuff still needed to be gathered up, but to the two of them, all that mattered was settling down for the night and enjoying one last late night of each other's company. Sure, Al drove him nuts sometimes, but as Matthew looked across the room at his brother, he said a silent prayer in hopes that God would protect him, and keep him from potentially swan diving into the depths of misery and loneliness.

Finally the butts were disposed of in the ashtray, and goodnights were said. Al retreated to his bedroom, and Matthew packed the last of his things, and exhaustedly crashed onto the couch, slipping into a deep slumber in no time at all.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning was a bit of a rush. Matthew's alarm shrilly rang at about four in the morning, as he had a boat to catch at five thirty to take him back to his homeland. Bleary-eyed, he got dressed, started the coffee, and threw the last of his things into his trunk. Everything was all set.

Well, except for one thing.

"How many times am I going to have to do this, Al?!" Matthew said with exasperation. "Get out of bed!"

Al barely seemed to hear him. He muttered something unintelligible and snuggled further into his pillow.

"That's it. You asked for it," Matthew muttered under his breath. He grabbed Al's ankles, which were poking out of the covers, and with a grunt, flung him out of bed and onto the floor. Al's eyes flew open in surprise, and with a loud thump, he landed roughly on the old wooden floor.

"That was unnecessary!" he whined. "I was getting up!"

"Likely story," Matthew snorted. "Better get changed quick, we've got to leave in twelve minutes."

Matthew waited for Al at the table, sipping a cup of coffee and anxiously looking at his watch. His nervousness over Al's reckless nature almost made him want to stay longer, and try and keep him out of trouble, but Matthew's work was calling for him back home in Canada. Plus, deep down Matthew knew there wasn't much he really could do, anyways. Al always did what he wanted, and most times there just was no stopping him. Still, Henry's promise to keep an eye on him did alleviate some of his worries. At least Al won't be totally up to his own devices.

Matthew had just finished his cup of coffee when Al came out of his bedroom, dressed and ready to go. They grabbed their coats and hats, dragged Matthew's trunk to the car, and took off for the docks.

The smell of engines and fuel permeated the foggy air, and Al and Matthew quietly waited for it to be boarding time. Although concerned about his brother, Matthew couldn't say that he wasn't looking forward to going home, back to the familiar sights, sounds, and people. It was always a fun time, going to America, but nothing was better than returning to the familiar place that was his Canada. Only a few more days, and he'd be back.

A horn blared, announcing that it was time to board. Alfred and Matthew stood from the bench, and faced each other to say their goodbyes.

Matthew extended his hand. "Thanks for the invitation, Al. It was great seeing you again."

Al grinned, and began shaking his hand vigorously. "No, thank you for coming all this way! We need to do something like this again." Al withdrew from the handshake, and then suddenly enveloped his brother in a giant bear hug. "Aw, I'm gonna miss you so much, Mattie!"

"I'm gonna miss you too, Al," Matthew consoled, somewhat muffled in his brother's strong embrace. "Don't forget to write every once in a while, eh?"

"Of course! Safe travels!" Al said, releasing Matthew.

Matthew began to head towards the boat, and then stopped. "Hey Al, do me a favor, will ya?"

"Of course! What is it?"

Matthew hesitated, and heard the second warning blare. "Just, take care of yourself, eh? Don't be too reckless."

"Aw, you don't have to worry about me, Mattie." Al said. "You take care, too, alright?"

Matthew nodded, and with one last wave, boarded the boat, ready to head home.

Al watched the boat pull out of the harbor, and make its way out of sight. He straightened his tie, adjusted the brim of his hat, and made his way back to the car.

It was a quiet morning at the diner. The morning rush of patrons had just cleared out, leaving behind just a few stragglers; most reading books or newspapers as they enjoyed their morning cup of joe and a plate full of hot breakfast. Al peered in the window as he bought a newspaper from the newsbie working outside. He gave the kid a nickel, and with his paper underneath his arm, he walked into the diner.

He hung up his hat and coat, and seated himself at a booth in the corner, right next to the window so he could see the world bustle by. He opened his paper, and began reading, every once in a while glancing around the small establishment to see if she was there.

He didn't have to wait long, as soon enough she emerged from the kitchen doors in the back, balancing a tray of mugs and a kettle. She refilled the cups of other patrons, and made her way over to his table. She pulled out a little notepad, brushed a stray hair out of her face, and cleared her throat. "Anything I can get for you today, sir?" she asked politely.

Al folded up his newspaper, and looked up at her with a smile. "A cup of java and some eggs couldn't hurt."

Her eyes widened with surprise upon recognizing him. "Al! What are you doing here?" she asked, although she probably knew the answer.

"I heard good things about this place, and decided to try it out for myself," he said, a big grin on his face.

"...Right." Lily's face had grown increasingly red, and she looked down, somewhat embarrassed. "So that was coffee and eggs. You want bacon, hash, and toast with that?"

"Sure."

"Alright, I'll go put the order in, and it'll be right out."

"Thanks. And Lily, I hope I'm not embarrassing you, or anything," Al said seriously, his smile fading. "I know it's a little forward, showing up here..."

"No! It's fine," Lily assured, although she was still a fidgety. "I, I just didn't think you'd actually show up. I'm happy you came." She reassured him with a smile. "I'll go put that order in." She disappeared into the kitchen.

With a sigh, Al went back to his newspaper. A million thoughts ran through his head, analyzing the good and bad aspects of the interaction, and calculating what would be the best approach for the next encounter. He'd managed to put up a facade of a calm and collected demeanor, but his stomach and brain were doing flips, and he had just about panicked when she had started to blush.

The next twenty minutes were like a game of cat and mouse. Al would pretend to bury himself in his newspaper, when in reality he was too focused on stealing glances in Lily's direction. Lily would try to direct her full attention on working her tables, but the urge to peer over in Al's direction was too strong. Every once and a while their eyes would meet, only to sharply advert away in a frenzy, heads down and cheeks a bright red.

Finally Lily made her way towards Al with a tray balancing an overflowing plate and a pot of coffee. She slid the plate in front of him, flipped the mug over, and filled it from the pot.

"I'm sorry, I forgot all about the coffee until now," she apologized while pouring.

"It's no problem; I prefer it with my breakfast anyways," he reassured. "Man, this looks tasty!"

"We've had customers from all over say my uncle's the best diner cook they've ever had the pleasure of tasting," she responded meekly.

"Well I guess I'll just have to be the latest in a long line of happy patrons," he responded with a hearty smile.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked politely.

"Well, one quick thing. When's your shift over?"

She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before responding. Al knew he was being pretty forward, but he simply couldn't help himself. It was a key part of his personality; he simply did not like putzing around and waiting for things to happen; he liked to make them happen.

"I usually get a little time to myself when the place grinds to a halt around ten," she answered. "Then I work the lunch rush too, and if some of the other girls can make it, get the dinner rush off. Why do you ask?" she inquired.

"Well, now that my brother's left town, I'm all by myself for dinner tonight, and was wondering if you would care to join me for a bite to eat," Al asked, his stomach clenching as he awaited her response.

Lily broke into a smile. "I think I'd like that very much," she replied.

Internally Al let loose a long-held breath. "Great!" he exclaimed, very pleased with how everything was turning out. "You okay if I pick you up here around six-thirty?"

"Six -thirty works great," she affirmed. "I've got to get back to my tables, so see you later?"

"Looking forward to it!" Al replied, with triumphant music playing in his head. He plowed through his breakfast (which was pretty fantastic), paid the bill, and waved one last goodbye to Lily as he exited the restaurant, whistling a happy little tune.

Al busied himself with preparations for the night. Reservations were made, his suit ironed and checked for anything resembling a stain, and strategies mapped out for the evening. Of course, in the intermediary periods between these activities was a myriad of excited dancing, jumping, and skipping throughout his apartment. Sure, there was a mountain of paperwork sitting on his little desk in the corner, and yes, there were phone calls and telegrams to be sent, and speeches and presentations to write, but this took the priority. Work has always been there, and would always be there; opportunities like his excursion this evening would not. Thus his duties were neglected, and his eyes were set upon a very different kind of goal.

Six-thirty rolled around, and Al nervously waited at the back door. He had been told to meet her at their back door, as the restaurant resided in the front half of the house, and their living quarters above and behind. He nervously fidgeted with the buttons of his sleeve, every once in a while glancing up at the door.

Finally, with a creak, the door swung open, and Lily stepped outside of the house. The second Al looked up, she took his breath away.

Her short auburn curls were pinned up perfectly beneath her navy blue hat, and her lips were once again brightly colored, just like the night they had met. Her blue-green eyes met Al's confidently now, without any trace of the timidness she had exhibited earlier that morning. It took every ounce of Al's mental capabilities to keep himself from ogling at her, with his month hanging open.

After a second or so, Al's brain kicked him into gear. "Y-you look nice," he stammered out.

"Thank you! You don't look half bad yourself," she replied cheerfully. Al looked down at his grey suit, and smiled at Lily.

"Before I forget," he stated, starting to regain his composure, "I got these for you." He revealed from behind him a bouquet, and gave it to Lily. His gut tightened as the red began to appear in her cheeks, but then she gave a squeal of delight.

"Oh Al! These are beautiful! Thank you!" She looked up and beamed at him. "Let me run in and pop these in a vase real quick, then we can be off." She disappeared back into the house before he could say anything, and Al went back to twiddling his thumbs as he awaited her return.

She exited the house once more, and they left for Al's car parked at the curb. Al drove them both to tonights venue: a lovely little Italian Bistro several blocks away from Al's apartment and the diner. Al found a parking spot nearby, and led Lily into the bistro.

They hung up their coats and hats, and then went to their table. Underneath her long grey coat was a beautiful floral dress, accented by a lovely long pearl necklace. As Al pulled out her chair to let her sit down, he couldn't help but notice that she smelled wonderfully too.

The waiter filled their glasses and left, leaving the both of them to awkwardly focus on their menus, not knowing quite how to kick off the conversation. Finally, after staring at the salad selection for about five minutes, Lily cleared her throat, and began to speak.

"So what did you do today?" she asked politely as she took a sip of water.

Al's eyes snapped up from the menu. "Ah, what _did_ I do today?" he pondered out loud. "Pretty much just avoided doing paperwork. Probably going to regret it later, but..."he shrugged. "You?"

"Same thing you saw me doing this morning," she answered with a smile. "You mentioned paperwork. Are you in the bonds business?"

Al shook his head. "Nah, wouldn't be caught dead in anything financial. I hate numbers. I actually, uh..." he stalled, having no idea what to say. He certainly couldn't tell her the truth, but he had forgotten to prep a work around for this question. His brain short circuited, and he panicked, knowing the longer he waited, the more suspicious it would seem. "It's kind of... hard to explain, but I do a lot with, like, international relations, and all that stuff." He took a sip of water, hoping his hand wasn't shaking. It wasn't the worse excuse, but he certainly could have done better.

"International? You speak any languages?" she asked, her curiosity visibly peaked.

"Oh, a couple." Al responded, relieved that the conversation was moving away from work, and towards an area in which he could show off a bit.

"Which ones?" she prodded.

Al paused, as he mentally went through the list. "I'm fluent in German and Spanish. I used to be fluent in French, but it's gotten a little rusty. I also speak Dutch, Italian, and Swedish somewhat."

"Whoa!" Lily exclaimed in surprise. "That's a couple?! And I thought I was the bee's knees for knowing a little German!"

Al smiled. "If you think that's impressive, you should meet some of my co-workers. I couldn't even begin to list off some of 'em."

Before Al could start to delve into the accomplishments of his fellow employees, the waiter approached to take their order. He jotted it down, and then without another word disappeared into the restaurant.

Lily cocked her head curiously at Alfred. Feeling a little unsure, he began fidgeting with his napkin, until finally asking what was the matter.

"Well," she started, "I'm just surprised after bragging all about your linguistic skills that you wouldn't show off a bit and speak Italian with the waiter."

"Are you saying I'm lying?" Al asked credulously.

Lily smirked. "I don't know, am I?"

Al looked to either side, and leaned closer to Lily. She, her curiosity peaked, leaned in as well.

"Con tutte le alte tensioni con gli immigrati, non ha desiderato attirare attenzioni indesiderate," he whispered softly yet quickly.

Lily cracked a huge cocky grin. "I guess you are a man of your word. What did it mean?"

"What I said was, 'With all the tension with immigrants right now, I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention," he coolly translated.

"Who cares?" Lily said incredulously.

"Usually not me, but it being our first date and all, I'd rather keep it uneventful," he explained.

Lily nodded her head in understanding. The conversation lulled, and once again both members racked their brains in hopes of finding another topic with which to occupy themselves.

"So..." Lily began. "Where are you from?"

Al sputtered into his water a bit. "Sorry, wrong pipe," he said weakly in between coughs. " _Crap! Where am I from?_ " he panicked. " _Why didn't I think of these things before? You always prepare answers beforehand! Nice going, moron!"_

"Um...I'm actually from Virginia, right around Jamestown," he answered as nonchalantly as he could muster. "You're from Pennsylvania, right?"

"Yup. I grew up on a little bit of acreage in Chester County. You know the area well?"

"Decently. 'Specially around Philadelphia; I've had a lot of business trips down there. One of my co-workers lives in Pennsylvania too. He's even got a little cabin in the Poconos."

"Oh, lovely area up there. Really great slice of the great outdoors."

"Yeah, he really seems to love it. Sometimes he has some of the guys from the office out for trips and such. Fishing, hiking, hunting... all that good stuff."

"Sometime you'll have to take me with you; it sounds fun!" Lily said.

"Of course! We've always got room for a couple more!" Al responded enthusiastically.

He was just about to launch into some of the adventures he and the gang had gotten into, when their food arrived. Snippets of conversation continued even through the wolfing down of food, but nothing substantial arose in between bites. Dinner plates were slowly emptied, and the quiet food coma lull that always arose after any Italian meal took over.

"Man, that was good," Al sighed appreciatively.

Lily sighed, and nodded in agreement.

Al, though tempted to just let his drowsiness take over, wondered what else he could ask her to keep conversation going. The waiter had busted their plates, and run off to grab the check before Al thought of anything good.

"Do you frequent that speakeasy often?" Al asked, genuinely curious.

Now it was her turn to be a little flustered, apparently. "Well... actually that was my first time in a place like that."

Al's eyebrows raised in surprise. "You're kidding."

"I'm still pretty new to New York," she protested, "And my aunt's been very protective of me so far. It was the first time I could really get out and adventure a little bit, you know? I had heard some of the girls at work talk about it, and thought I'd try it for myself."

"How long have you been in New York, then?"

Her cheeks got a little pink. "Two weeks."

"Wow! I guess this all must be really, really new to you," Al surmised.

"I've adjusted to a lot of things, but yeah," Lily said, ducking her head in embarrassment.

"Hey, no need to be shy about it!" Al comforted. "We're all new at some point! Plus, this way I can show you all sorts of cool things you haven't seen! It gives me more options!"

"Well, don't overwhelm a girl," she remarked, but she seemed much more at ease.

The check came, Al paid, and they grabbed their coats and hats and headed back to the car. As he drove, Al repeatedly glanced over at her, trying to get a read on whether or not she had enjoyed herself. She wasn't showing any of the typical signs of misery and annoyance, but then again, she didn't particularly look ecstatic either. Al told himself not to worry, but he still couldn't help but peer over at her time to time.

He pulled over at the curb, and they got out. The moon could just be made out over the brownstone, and faint noises could be heard elsewhere in the city. Al walked her to the backdoor, and they faced each other to say goodnight.

"Well, thank you so much for dinner, Al! I really enjoyed myself," Lily said with a smile.

"I'm glad! And thank you for being so kind as to keep me a little company," he replied.

Lily chuckled. "Well, I guess this is goodnight."

"Yup," Al responded, awkwardly rocking on his heels.

Lily headed to the door, and then swung around, and pecked him on the cheek. "Goodnight Al!"

Al, a bit stunned, managed to utter a weak, "Goodnight." Even as Lily swung the door shut behind her, Al still stood like a statue as his brain registered what had happened. Finally, his brain caught up, and he broke out into a sporadic little jig. He waltzed his way back to the car, got in, gave a little whoop of triumph, and drove home.

He danced his way up to the apartment, danced as he unlocked the door, and danced the whole way to bed, before triumphantly flopping into bed, supremely satisfied with the events of the evening, and excited for the days to come.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a nice day outside Henry's window. He admired it as he kicked his legs up on his desk and enjoyed his cigarette. It was the first break he had all morning; the paperwork, telegrams, and phone calls had piled up enormously, and many messages, papers, and documents still lingered ominously on his desk. Still, Henry knew that it was important to enjoy the finer things in life every once in a while, and that included the beautiful blue sky and puffy clouds that were floating past his upper story office window.

Suddenly his telephone rang out, and he sighed, taking one last drag of his cigarette before answering the call.

"Henry Morris speaking," he spoke into the sound piece, trying not to sound too annoyed about being wrenched from his respite.

"York, buddy, how've ya been?" an excited, lively voice resonated through.

Henry took in a long breath. "Hello, Al. I've been alright. Pretty busy at the office. Yourself?"

"Ah, same old, same old," Al replied. "Pushed off my paperwork until today, big mistake."

"Hmm," Henry hummed in assent, attempting to hide his annoyance, for Al's procrastination had caused him quite some headaches this morning.

"Well, anyway, York, I was wondering if you could help me out with something," Al began.

Henry took another drag of his cigarette, and waited patiently for Al to continue.

"You know that girl I was telling you about, Lily? Well, it turns out she's relatively new to the city, and hasn't gotten to see too much of it, so I thought I could make this next date really special, and wow her with something. And then I thought, well, if anybody would know a good place in the city, it would be Henry!" Al explained.

Henry leaned back further in his chair. "I'm guessing you took her out for dinner, already?"

"Yeah, last night."

Unbeknownst to Al, Henry's eyebrow made it's signature move up his brow. He blew out a big cloud of smoke, and contemplated his answer.

"I'd start with something simple. Maybe take her to a cinema. I've heard good things about the one in your neighborhood; you could take her to see a film there."

"York, you never fail to impress. Thanks a million, buddy!" Al exclaimed.

"Don't mention it. By the way Al, any chance you could-" Henry stopped as he heard the line go dead. He cursed, hung up the phone, and went back to smoking and gazing out the window, but unfortunately he was unable to recapture that brief moment of repose. Exasperated, he turned back to his desk, extinguished his cigarette, opened a drawer, pulled out a pen and stationary, and began to jot something down. Once he had finished writing, he pulled out an envelope and placed the letter carefully inside, sealing it up.

"Brooklyn, doll?" he called out to the hallway.

A beautiful young woman with dark hair and hazel eyes appeared in the doorway. "Yes, York?" she inquired.

"Do me a favor and put this out with the rest of the post, will you?" he asked. "Oh, and throw a good number of stamps on it; it's got a long ways to go."

"'Course, York," she answered, strutting in to take the letter from him. Henry seized his opportunity, and gently, yet adeptly swept her onto his lap, and leaned in to peck her on the kisser.

She gently leaned away, and he stopped. "Sorry, Henry, but I'm gonna have to take a check; I've got things to do."

Henry groaned softly in disappointment, and rested his head on her shoulder. "Damn this damned morning," he cursed. Brooklyn giggled, stood up, took the letter, and strutted out, pretending that Henry wasn't checking out her gams on the way out. He sighed once more, lit another cigarette, and went back to work.

Al had not been able to stop by the diner since the night at the Italian restaurant. His neglect of work and assorted responsibilities had amounted to the point of a fierce overspill into the already arduous work load of the next few days. Still, he had plowed through it, all in the hopes of earning himself a day, or at least a morning or evening, to spend with Lily.

Al glanced at his watch as he bustled along with the masses of people making their way to work. It was pretty early in the morning, around six-thirty, but he had to get to work around 8:30, at the latest. He passed a newsbie yelling the headlines at the top of his lungs, and quick stopped to grab a newspaper. He made his way further up the block with a newspaper tucked under one arm, and a briefcase clutched in the other, with his eyes set upon the distinct building decked with signs.

A bell rang as he stepped inside, and a middle aged woman glanced up from the bar. "There's a table open in the back left corner," she notified him, as she busied herself with gathering mugs and sliding plates in front of hungry patrons.

Al scanned the sea of people, and saw the booth to which she was referring. He made his way past the tables occupied by a whole variety of folks, from bachelors such as himself, to businessmen and their associates, to a gaggle of secretaries, all hoping to enjoy a nice breakfast before the long day.

Al slid into his booth, and opened his newspaper, despite being more occupied with looking for a certain someone than actually reading the news. He spotted her push out of the kitchen balancing a tray filled with plates, absorbed in the craziness that was rush hour. The middle aged woman said something to her, and Lily slid the tray in front of her, and disappeared back into the kitchen.

Another young waitress made her way over to Al's table, and the idea that he may not be able to get ahold of her in this chaos dawned on him. Al gave his order to the girl, but still distractedly glanced around the diner, trying to see if she'd notice him among the large number of patrons.

Luck was on Al's side that day, because as she scanned the room to figure out which one the tables her tray belong to, she spotted him. Al waved, and she smiled back, and then upon hearing the middle aged woman clear her throat (Al had begun to think that she was her aunt), snapped back to reality and began to bustle about once again. Al went back to his paper, but kept an eye on her in the corner of his eye. He saw her stop one of her fellow waitresses, exchange a few quick words, gesture to a table, and the disappear back into the kitchen. Al sighed, gave up, and focused entirely on the pages of his newspaper.

"Man, you sure weren't kidding about loving the cooking."

Al looked up over his newspaper to see Lily balancing his tray, and smiling at him. He got a bit red in the cheeks; thinking he wasn't going to get to see her, he went ahead and ordered enough eggs, hash, and toast for two.

"Well, what can I say, I'm a sucker for an American breakfast," he replied, as Lily slid the plate in front of him. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to stop by recently; work had me really bogged down."

Lily brushed it off. "Don't worry about it." Already she had begun to get a bit fidgety and anxious to get back to work, but when she looked over her shoulder and saw her aunt pointedly staring at them, she blushed a deep red.

"You free tonight?" Al blurted out.

Lily turned back to him. "What? Oh, uh, yeah. Why? What do you have in mind?"

Al smirked up at her. "Can't tell you, it's a surprise. I'll pick you up at seven, at the backdoor, okay?"

"A surprise?" Lily was interrupted by the sound of her aunt clearing her throat once again. Lily blushed. "That works fine. I got to get back to work, so I'll see you then."

"See you then!" Al called back cheerfully, but she had already turned around to get back to work.

Al ploughed through his meal, delicious as always, and paid the bill. He couldn't help but notice that the look Lily's aunt gave him on his way out was not quite as friendly as the one she had given him on the way in.

Al was very chipper on his way into the office, but slowly and steadily the day began to have its toll on him. He drafted, read, and signed tons of forms, skimmed through what seemed to be a thousand letters, worked on his speech for the millionth time, and took one too many calls about seemingly pointless issues.

"For the last time, Jersey, I do not know what kind of chicken Hoover is going to put in your pot," Al said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "No, I don't know what kind of car either. Now do you have something important you need to talk about, or are you just gonna waste my time here?" Exasperated, Al hung up the phone. He spun in his chair to see what time it was. 4:00. Only a few more hours to go. Oh boy.

It felt like years until Al was finally free. He said goodnight to his secretary, made his way out the door, and began to head back to his apartment.

He quickly got changed out of his work clothes into something a bit nicer and less worn, grabbed his favorite coat and hat, and whipped together a quick dinner before excitedly rushing out the door. Lamplights along the street lit up the shade dusk threw upon the city, and Al couldn't help but look around at all the brick buildings lining the street, and watch in fascination as the residential area quieted down for the night. As he got closer to Lily's house and the diner, however, the city began to perk up, and more people could be seen bustling around in their glad rags, ready for a fun night on the town. Clubs, restaurants, cinemas, and more were lit up, and far from settling down for the night. That was all further down the street, though, and for now, it was just the quiet of diner and the apartment above. Al gently knocked on the door, and he heard the clopping sound of heels on the floor, and Lily appeared in the door way.

"What, no flowers?" she said, with mock disappointment.

"If I brought them every night, then they wouldn't be special," Al reasoned.

"True, true. Then again, if I said yes every time you asked me out, then that wouldn't be special either, wouldn't it?" Lily said as she stepped outside.

"Nope," Al dismissed. "That's always gonna be special no matter how hard you try to make it mundane. A girl's company is always special if she's a real special kind of girl," he bantered, and offered his arm. Lily took it, but Al could just make out the red of her blush hidden underneath her hat.

He lead her down the street, her arm still linked with his. "What, no car this time?" she remarked.

"Nope. It's close enough to hoof it," Al explained.

Lily nodded in assent, and they walked in silence.

"So...," Al began. "You have a good day?"

Lily sighed. "It was alright. That morning rush really took it out of me. Plus, my aunt got all hot and bothered over me swapping a table with Myrtle. Had to tread lightly all day." Al felt a tinge of guilt. "What about you?" Lily asked, snapping Al out of his thoughts.

"I've had better, I've had worse," he responded flatly. "Lots of the mundane stuff, and one of the idiots that work for me was bugging me about pointless stuff all day long. Don't want to burden you with all that though." He paused. "What's it like living with your aunt and uncle?"

"To be honest, weird," Lily admitted. "I know them well, but it's not like my parents. I'm trying to figure them out, they're trying to figure me out; it's just kind of awkward."

"I know what you mean," Al contributed. "I lived with Mattie for a period of time, and that was a weird experience. I can handle him for weeks at a time, but months? Then it get's a little tense."

"For a period of time? I thought you guys were twin brothers?" Lily asked in confusion.

Al mentally kicked himself, and then desperately grasped at straws. "He is my twin brother, we just had an...odd upbringing, so to speak."

"Oh." Lily sensed that Al didn't want to get any further into it.

"And we're here!" Al exclaimed excitedly. They both now stood in front of the local cinema, which was decked out in bright colorful signage and light bulbs.

"A movie? The way you were hyping it up, I thought you were going to take me to the North Pole!" Lily teased.

"Now if every date was that special, wouldn't it get boring?" Al teased back, and they chuckled.

Al got their tickets to see The Docks of New York, and made their way into the theatre. The rows were rather filled, but Al managed to secure them a spot towards the back. They sat down, and hardly had to wait five minutes before they began to play the show.

Al had heard that the movie was good, but as it began, he started to wonder if those sources had been entirely trustworthy. It started out pretty well, but as it progressed he found himself getting bored. He anxiously glanced at Lily, worried that she was feeling the same way, but she seemed relatively engaged with the movie, so Al put his nerves to rest.

Al focused back onto the movie, when all of a sudden he felt a weight on his shoulder. Looking down, he saw that Lily had leaned over and was resting her head on him. At first he panicked and stiffened, thinking she had fallen asleep, but upon closer examination, he found that her eyes were indeed still open and transfixed on the screen. He let himself relax, and almost fell asleep himself, lulled into a sleepy trance from the warmth of her on his shoulder. The long day at work he had that day didn't help either.

Just as Al thought he was going to lose his battle against his closing eyes, the crowd began to applaud, and he quickly joined them. He glanced over to see Lily smiling at him, and he gulped, wondering if she had noticed him slip in and out of consciousness. They filled out with the rest of the crowd, and began to make their way home through the night.

"So, what did you think?" Al asked, as Lily slipped her arm in his.

Lily pursed her lips in thought. "The movie overall was pretty good, but the ending was kind of weak and cliché. They're a nice couple, but it kinda just petered off in the end," she mused. "What about you?"

Al's mouth gaped for a second. "Oh yeah. I totally agree. That ending was really weak, especially how the guy, uh..."

Lily burst out into laughter, and Al got really red in the cheeks. "You barely saw any of it, did you?" she asked in between giggles.

"Yeah... I have trouble sitting still for that long," Al admitted. "It was a real struggle not to fall asleep towards the end. Sorry."

"Ah, no need to apologize," Lily reasoned. "You tried, and that's what counts."

They walked in silence, arm in arm, with the nothing but the lamplights to guide them down the street. It was cold, cold enough that Al could see his own breath, and Lily snuggled a little closer into Al for warmth.

They continued further down the street, and after a while Al broke out into a huge grin. Lily smiled too, but her eyebrows knit a bit in puzzlement over his euphoria. "What's got you all happy?" she finally asked.

"Hmm?" Al replied, looking down at her. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about how much I enjoyed our nights together."

"Oh, yeah, me too!" Now it was Lily's turn to break out into a grin. "Then again, there's always room for improvement..." she teased.

Al mocked astonishment. "Room for improvement? I've given it everything I've got! If you wanted a more exciting date, I'd have to take you flying!"

"Well, then, take me flying," she stated bluntly, but a mischievous smile still played at her lips.

"I'll put it on the list then," Al said matter-of-factly.

"Wait, you're serious?" Lily asked in confusion. "You actually know how to fly?"

"Of course!" Al answered excitedly. "I flew in the Great War! I've even got my own plane out in the countryside."

"Applesauce!" Lily exclaimed in disbelief. "There's no way you're a flyboy."

"I'm not lying."

"I guess you'll just have to prove it to me," Lily responded.

They arrived at the diner, now entirely dark, and made their way to the back door. They faced one another just like they had the last time, not knowing quite how to say goodnight.

"I really enjoy this," Lily blurted out.

Al looked at her in puzzlement.

"You, taking me out," Lily clarified. "I can't help but look for you every morning at the diner, and when you showed up my stomach did flips, and then when you announced our plans for tonight I could hardly focus on working the tables I was so excited," she blurted out in a hurry, and then looked away shyly.

Al blinked at her, a bit stunned. "I do too," he said, cringing at how weak it was. Lily looked down in disappointment. "I mean," he tried, "I really enjoy it too. I couldn't focus at my job either. I even signed my name wrong on a couple documents." Lily started giggling. "You think I'm joking?" he asked incredulously. "I handed 'em to my secretary, and she had to stop me on the way out! Apparently my name is now Alfed Jonis."

Lily had to cover her mouth she was giggling so much. "I'm relieved that you feel the same way," Al admitted. "I was starting to worry that I was boring you, or irritating you, or causing..." he faltered, noticing how she was looking up at him, and biting her lip. Without really knowing what he was doing, he started to lean down, and she tilted her head up to meet him.

It wasn't the first time he had kissed a girl. It would have been difficult to have lived 140 years without some female interaction of the sort. However, he found himself somewhat surprised to find there was something different about this one. Perhaps it was that he hadn't done it in a while, but it almost seemed more...natural. He didn't have to think about what he was doing, or what move to do next-it just happened.

Lily gently pulled away. "Goodnight Al," she said, as she quietly opened the backdoor.

"Goodnight," Al replied, and she was gone. He watched as the light on the utmost floor flicker on, and as he started to make his way back to his own apartment, it flicked off.

He slowly made his way down the street, lighting a cigarette and observing the quiet and peacefulness of the usually raucous city. Noise could be heard way off in the distance, but even that seemed muted, and far away. The leaves of the trees rustled in the gentle wind, and he stopped underneath a lamppost and took a drag of his cigarette. He broke into his characteristic wide smile, and began chuckling to himself.

"Man, that bearcat's got me all sorts of goofy," he mused to himself. He enjoyed the last of his cigarette, discarded it under his boot, and then made his way up to his apartment to enjoy a well-deserved, much needed, long night's sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

A little over a month had flown by, and it was nearly time for Thanksgiving. Al had been corresponding with Mattie, who had accepted Al's invitation to come out to celebrate the American holiday. Much to Al's surprise, he also received a letter from his brother across the Atlantic, Arthur, informing him that he would be visiting as well. Al was excited, especially because it provided him the opportunity to introduce Lily to his brothers.

Things with Lily had been amazing. His life began to revolve around the diner and his favorite waitress inside. He was having more fun than he had ever had in his entire life, and that was really saying something. Even if it wasn't a new club, restaurant, or cinema, he could always find great pleasure and joy in just being around her. He had been planning on returning to D.C, or heading out to Chicago by now, but the entrance of Lily into his life kept him grounded in the Big Apple with no end in sight.

Henry had become very intrigued by this development, and Al found himself becoming slightly unsettled by his colleague's subtle poking and prodding into his personal life. This nosy behavior was something he expected and tolerated from his brothers, but having it come from one of his states befuddled him. Still, one of Al's quality traits was his unique ability to not trouble himself with trifling matters, and his concerns over Henry's sudden interest were fleeting, and for the most part, ignored.

It was his lunch break, and Al took his time making his way to the diner, glad for a chance to catch his breath after such a hectic morning. Sure, the next conference wasn't for several months yet, but the preparations were endless. Much of the necessary busy work came with deadlines, and required correspondence with associates all across the globe. On top of all that, several of his states called in voicing their concerns over various domestic issues, as well as a couple of government leaders and workers privy to knowledge of his existence. By noon Al was already worn out, and desperate for a break from the grind.

All of Al's stress seemed to melt away when he entered the diner, and saw Lily's head snap towards the door, smiling when she recognized him. He smiled back and found his usual booth in the corner, Lily's aunt watching him warily. The restaurant was decently quiet today, and not nearly as busy as it was in the mornings, or during lunch on the weekends. Lily stopped by one of her only tables, and then made her way over to him, pulling out her notepad.

"Not used to seeing you here this time of the day," she stated once she had made it to the table. "What changed?"

"What changed was my capacity to deal with my workload," Al said with a weary sigh. "But I'm away from that now. Put in an order of number three in for me, would you?"

"You got it, flyboy," Lily assented. She had begun to call him that ever since he had revealed his possession of a pilot's license and a plane, despite his apparent lack of fame and fortune. He had yet to take her out flying, but rest assured, it was on his agenda.

"You going home for Thanksgiving, or spending it with your aunt and uncle?" Al asked, making small talk.

"It's looking like I'm going to be staying in New York," she said flatly, as she finished scribbling on her pad. "My parents are visiting old friends in Delaware, and I didn't want to impose. That being said, I'm not exactly thrilled to have to go up-state to visit my cousin and his wife. Never really knew my cousin very well, and the wife's a piece of work," Lily said matter-of-factly. "You doing anything special?"

"For once I'm actually going to have company!" Al said excitedly. "Usually I'm all by myself, but this time my brothers are coming into town. Mattie and Arthur are making the trip!"

"That's really nice! I'm glad for you, Al! I better put this in before Aunt Florence throws a fit, but I'll be back in a jiffy." and with that she disappeared.

Al gazed out the window in the meantime, watching the people bustle about their daily lives. He really could sympathize with those without a family to count on round this time of year. He knew from experience how much it sucked eating a turkey sandwich alone in the apartment rather than a feast surrounded by love ones and friends.

He was snapped out of his trance when a plate full of food and a coke was slid in front of him. He looked up and smiled at Lily. "You always manage to outdo yourself, doll." She snorted, but he could make out a hind of a smile as she turned her head away. Suddenly an idea came to him. "Say, you want to join my brothers and I for Thanksgiving? There's always room for one more, and I'd love to introduce you to them! Mattie especially has been dying to meet you."

Lily appeared hesitant. "I dunno, Al. I wouldn't want to impose, and they're really coming a long way..."

"It'd be absolutely no problem!" Al encouraged. "Plus, you'll be a nice distraction from Arthur's nagging all week. Please?" he begged.

"Well, I guess I can try to float it past my aunt and see if she'll go for it," Lily ceded. "At least I won't be intruding on their visit this way. Plus, I always hate it when the family gets all into my business about when I'm going to get settled, and Susie never makes that any easier...Alright. Count me in."

Al nearly jumped for joy. "Thank you so so so so so much!" he exclaimed. "It's gonna be copacetic, so long as Arthur doesn't insist on helping with the cooking."

Lily giggled, having already been informed on Al's brother's lack of skill in the kitchen. "Alright, well, I better get back, but I'll see you soon?"

"'Course! Don't forget to ask your aunt!"

"I won't!"

Al watched her disappear back into the kitchen, wolfed down his lunch, and then with a final wave to Lily, returned to his workday a happier man than when he had started.

Matthew sighed in relief when he finally made his way off the boat and onto land. Though the reeling feeling had not fully gone away, it certainly wasn't making him feel quite as nauseated as the constant rocking of the boat did. No matter how many times, and how many ways he sailed, he could never be quite as comfortable as Arthur when traveling by sea. At least it was over now. Suitcase in hand, he scanned the crowd for a familiar face, and was disappointed when he didn't see him. Tiredly, Matthew made his way to a bench, set his suitcase down, and rested his eyes for a brief second.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Matthew's eyes shot open, and he looked up to see Henry standing in front of him, a cigarette clenched between hid teeth and an amused look on his face.

"Right, sorry," Matthew apologized, as he readjusted the brim of his hat and gathered up his suitcase again.

Henry chuckled. "No reason to apologize; you're just not used to it, that's all. 'Fraid New York City isn't as friendly a place as Canada."

Matthew nodded, still looking down in embarrassment. "Thanks for meeting with me," he said, as Henry plopped down beside him.

"You want a smoke?" Henry offered. "You look like you could use one."

"Uh, sure," Matthew accepted, and within a second Henry handed him a cig and gave him a light. Matthew exhaled appreciatively, and leaned back onto the bench. "So... what's the story?"

"Well," Henry began flatly, "I wish I had a bit more comforting news. He's been seeing that girl for the past two months, and taking her out just about every night."

The nauseous feeling Matthew had just rid himself of returned. Al's letters hadn't been promising, but they hadn't really given Matthew too much to worry about, either. "Do you think he's told her about...well, you know..." he worriedly asked.

Henry snorted. "Give your brother some credit; he's not thatmuch of an idiot _._ To the best of my knowledge he's been doing pretty well avoiding the subject." Henry took a long, thoughtful drag on his cigarette. "Tell you what though, I've got to hand it to him, she's a real sheba. Don't know how he managed to snag a dame like her."

"Oh, Al's got his ways, I suppose," Matthew mused. "He as tactless as hell, but he's still a lot of fun and has a pretty big heart, so I guess it all balances out."

"He's been treating her pretty nicely too. Called me a couple of times for suggestions. He's taken her to some really nice places." Henry noticed the worried look on Matthew's face, as he took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll be honest with you, Matthew. I don't quite get why you're so worked up about this."

Matthew looked over at Henry. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think it's all that big a deal that he's taken this girl out for a couple months," Henry answered. "He's just having a bit of fun outside of work, what's the harm?"

Matthew sighed. "You don't know Al as well as I do. He gets attached- he's getting attached to something that's never going to work no matter how hard he tries. He's going to hurt himself if he keeps this up."

"So what if he hurts himself?!" Henry exclaimed. "He's a full grown man, not a piece of glass. Heartbreak's a part of the game, and it'll teach him a lesson for the next time he thinks about trying it."

"York, I think it's just a bit different for nations," Matthew said quietly. "We live for so long, and see so much change, people appearing and disappearing...it just takes it's toll after a while."

"You know I'm older than him, right?" Henry stated, and Matthew looked up at him in surprise. "Before I was New York I was New Netherlands. Sure Jamestown was around, but he didn't show up for several years after that. They were just a couple settlements here and there, not really unified under anything. I've been up and down the block too, Matthew, and I've had my fair share of troubles along the way. Maybe it's a bit different, but I don't think it can be all that different."

Matthew got quiet, not because he agreed with Henry, but because he recognized that there just was no convincing Henry of his point. They both sat in silence, smoking their cigarettes, until a blasting horn interrupted the silence.

"That'll be Arthur," Matthew noted, as he stood up and gathered up his suitcase.

"Well, I better be off," Henry announced, as he put out his cigarette under his shoe.

Matthew looked at him in confusion. "You don't want to say hello to him?"

"Oh-ho-ho, trust me, he does NOT want to see me. Let's just say I've been sending him a little 'present' every year on the Fourth of July since 1776," Henry chuckled. "Maybe I'll catch him later, but for now, I've got to get back to work. I'll see you later, Matthew."

"Thanks again, Henry!" Matthew waved goodbye, and then began to scan the heads of those exiting the steamship, looking for the familiar choppy blonde hair of his older brother.

Finally Matthew found Arthur among the crowd, looking very uncomfortable and lost among the masses of people. Mattie began to wave like a madman, and Arthur eventually spotted him (or rather his flailing arms) and began to make his way through the crowd towards him.

"How was your trip?" Matthew asked politely, as he picked up Arthur's suitcase along with his own.

"Fine," the British man shrugged. "I've had better, I've had worse, I suppose. Though I really tuckered myself out trying to get paperwork done; I was up all night." As if to illustrate his point, he rubbed the bags out of his eyes and yawned. "What about you?"

"Eh, not horrible," Matthew answered. "Got a little sick, but that's to be expected." He began to try and flag down a cab, with little success. "It's been a while since you've seen Al, eh?"

Arthur stepped out and began to take over for Matthew. "I haven't seen him since the last Conference a year ago. Why? He hasn't gained weight, has he?"

"Nope, not that I could tell. He still eats like a freak of nature, though," Matthew chuckled.

"I keep telling him he needs to be more careful about that," Arthur grumbled. "One of these days his metabolism is going to fail him, and it isn't going to be pretty." A cab finally pulled over, and Arthur and Matthew filed in. Matthew gave the driver the name of Al's street, and they drove off.

They sat in silence for a while, and Matthew began to wonder if he should tell Arthur about Al's new beau. After an internal tug of war, he finally resolved to do so, and cleared his throat. "Hey, Arthur, there's something I better tell you before we get there." Matthew paused, and glanced over at Arthur, who was leaned against the window, fast asleep. Matthew sighed. _I guess he'll just have to find out for himself,_ Matthew thought.

The taxi pulled up onto the curb, and Matthew handed him some cash. He gently nudged Arthur awake, and got out with both their bags in hand.

"You sure this is the right place?" Arthur asked, looking skeptically up at the building.

"Yup!" Matthew said cheerfully, as he pressed the buzzer. A rapid thumping could be heard descending the stairs, and in half a second the door was thrown open.

"Mattie! Arthur! You're here! I'm so glad you guys could make it!" Before either of them could stop him, he enveloped them both into a giant hug.

"Very nice to see you too, Alfred," Arthur croaked out, none to pleased with being squeezed so tightly. Al finally released them, but was still beaming ear to ear.

"What am I doing? Come in, come in! I just put the kettle on for you Arthur, and there's plenty for you too Mattie!" Al welcomed. "Right up the stairs, first door to your right."

"Tea sounds delightful," Arthur murmured, as if in a dream, and they made their way up the stairs, Al excitedly bouncing behind them. Al's patience finally broke, and he bounded up the left side of the stairs past them, opened the door, and held it for them.

Matthew could tell that Al had tried to straighten up, but that didn't stop Arthur from frowning at the stack of plates sitting in the kitchen sink. Al hardly noticed; however, and began to get out mugs and pour both Arthur and Matthew a cup of tea. Matthew noticed Al opening a brand new box of tea. Al wasn't really a tea drinker to begin with, so he must have bought it especially for Arthur. Those two had had a pretty rocky past, but it was the little things like that that made Matthew hopeful for the future.

Al set the mugs on the table, and Arthur gave him a nod of thanks while gratefully taking a sip. Matthew became distracted by the headline of the newspaper sitting on the table, and began to read the cover article.

Al plopped down in his chair, and leaned back, one leg kicked up on his lap. "You reading that story about the hit downtown?" Matthew nodded. "It's gotten pretty bad with the organized crime down here," Al noted. "Though I have to admit, the bootlegging is a bit of a plus."

"You're not following your own Prohibition laws?" Arthur asked incredulously.

Al shrugged. "Practically nobody in this city is, to be honest. It's just forced all of it underground. Only thing that's changed is how open you are about it with the fuzz."

Arthur grunted in disapproval, and returned to his cup of tea, not provoking the matter any further. They drank in silence for a bit, before Arthur finally broke the quiet.

"So, what have you been up to the past year, America?" Arthur asked politely.

"Well, let's see. I was stuck in D.C for a while, but they finally let me go, so I decided to move around a bit. I was in Detroit for about two months, then made my way out to Pittsburgh for the next three after that. Then I came to do a little business in the Big Apple, and I've been here for..." Al began to count on his fingers. "Four months."

"Work keeping you busy?" Matthew asked.

"As always. Though I make it a point to have a little fun outside of work every once in a while to keep the stress down," Al answered.

"What sorts of things do you do?" Arthur inquired.

This was it. The moment of truth. Matthew looked over to see his twin brother get a little red in the face as he gave his answer.

"Ah, well, I met this girl about two months ago, and, well, I've been taking her out on dates and stuff, mostly," Al admitted a bit shyly.

Matthew watched his older brother, waiting for him to snap or something, but other than a slight upwards twitch of his thick eyebrows, he didn't give any reaction whatsoever.

"Yeah, well, tomorrow I'm thinking-" Al was cut off by the sound of the telephone ringing. He sighed tiredly. "I swear if it's New Jersey again, I'm going to head to Trenton myself and deck him." Al got up and went into the other room to answer the phone.

Arthur and Matthew sat quietly at the kitchen table, listening faintly to Al's voice in the other room.

"England, I'm kind of worried about America," Matthew blurted out.

Arthur looked at Matthew in puzzlement. "In what way?"

"Well, you see, it's that girl he's been going out with. I'm worried he's getting too attached, and he's going to hurt himself."

"Although I'll admit it is a bit problematic, I don't really think there's any cause for panic, Canada. It's never a great idea for us to get into relationships, but as long as he's playing his cards close, there's no need for concern," Arthur reasoned.

"He's going to hurt himself! He's jumping all in, and it's not going to end well! It never does!" Matthew exclaimed in frustration.

"I know he seems like an idiot, but I think even he knows the boundaries, Canada. You needn't worry about him. It's probably just fooling around to pass the time. God knows I've done the same thing once or twice."

Al bounded back into the room, and excitedly plopped down into his chair. "That was New York. He wants us to join him and Penn for Thanksgiving dinner!"

Matthew looked up at Al, his eyebrows knit in puzzlement. He didn't know what Henry was up to, considering that he had avoided Arthur earlier that day. _Why in the world would he invite them now?_ "Did you say yes?" he finally asked.

"Well, his house is bigger and nicer than my apartment, so I figured we'd be more comfortable at his place. Plus, I've been meaning to find the time to introduce Lily to him too, and this is a perfect opportunity!" Al explained.

"Lily?" Arthur asked in confusion.

"Yeah, that's my girlfriend! She's joining us for Thanksgiving!" Al announced excitedly.

"Does she not have a family of her own?" Arthur asked with a sarcastic edge to his voice.

The big goofy grin began to fall from Al's face. "They're all visiting other people, and she was kind of at a lost for what to do, so I figured I'd invite her to join us so I could introduce her to the family," Al responded.

"Why in the world-"

Matthew cut him off. "I'm fine with it. I've been wanting to meet her, and the more company, the better the feast, right?"

Arthur silently fumed beneath his surface, but Al didn't seem to notice, as his wide, beaming grin returned. "Aw, Mattie, you're the best!" He threw his arm around his shoulder, and began to pat him vigorously on the back. "It's gonna be so much fun! I'm so excited!"

Arthur muttered darkly under his breath, and sipped his tea.

"So what's the plan in the meantime?" Matthew asked, desperate to change the subject.

"I'm thinking I could take you guys around the city tomorrow, and show Arthur a few of the important sites here and there. We might not get to everything, though, 'cuz we do have a bit of business to go over before the conference, and we might as well get it done while we're all together."

"Why not do it tonight?" Arthur suggested. "We'll go over it while it's still fresh in our minds, and then have tomorrow all to ourselves."

"I didn't think you guys would be up for it with the trip and all, but if you want to, I'm willing," Al replied.

They all agreed, and thus suitcases were moved into separate rooms and files and paperwork was removed from folders and briefcases. Al had given Arthur the bedroom, insisting that his old bones needed a comfy bed, despite the nation still having the appearance of someone in their mid-twenties. Al forced Matthew to take the couch, and when Matthew asked him where he was going to sleep, Al proudly showed him his set up in the bathtub, complete with a mess of blankets and two pillows. Feeling guilty, Matthew managed to coax his brother to take the loveseat next to the couch, insisting that privacy wasn't an issue when you were crashing in the living room. Finally they settled around the kitchen table, and began to conduct business and organize an agenda for the conference.

They worked for a solid two hours, and then took a break to get dinner at a nearby restaurant, Arthur looking disapprovingly at Al as he consumed half his body weight in meat and potatoes. They walked for a while afterwards, returned to the apartment, and resumed work. They worked well into the night, and well into the carton of cigarettes Al had opened and shared.

"Germany is not going to like this," Al noted, as he tapped the excess ash into the simple glass ashtray in the middle of the table.

"Germany's not going to like any of this," Arthur responded darkly, "But it has to be done, unfortunately."

Al jotted down one final note, and flipped through his papers. "I think that about covers it. Anything else we need to go over?"

Arthur drew on his cigarette as he paged through his own documents. "Nothing comes to mind. I might have to make a few adjustments here and there, but I'll write you if anything changes significantly."

Al kicked back in his chair. "Can't believe Netherlands is hosting this year. Don't get me wrong, I love Amsterdam, but the guy might just charge entry."

"Eh, you're too hard on the guy. Sure he's formal, but he's not heartless or rude," Matthew protested.

"I'm just glad it's him because with him hosting there's a chance something might actually get done. Remember when the Italy brothers hosted? That was a disaster," Arthur reasoned.

"I don't think anybody really wants to go to Italy these days..." Al said with a frown. "Things are really changing."

"Well for now all we can do is ride it out and continue to work towards a better tomorrow," Arthur advised. "I'm exhausted, so I think I'll head to bed. Goodnight, boys." He extinguished his cigarette in the ashtray and padded off to Al's bedroom.

"Night!" they called after him.

"I'm thinking I'm gonna crash now too," Al announced. "You want the bathroom first or..."

"Nah, you go ahead," Matthew answered. "I'll finish my cig off while I wait."

"Alright!" Al put out his cigarette, grabbed his nightclothes, and bounded into the bathroom.

Matthew sat in the dimly lit kitchen, enjoying his cigarette as he watched the others gently smolder in the ashtray. These were indeed changing times, and they all were going to need to be at their best to keep trouble from brewing. When Matthew started to conside the grand scheme of things, Al's affair with Lily began to seem minor, unimportant, and harmless. He wondered how bad it really could be, and decided then and there to just let it happen, and stop worrying about it. The little nagging suspicion wouldn't subside, but for the most part, Matthew decided he was at peace with it. Al announced that the bathroom was open, Matthew got ready for bed, and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

Matthew slept surprisingly soundly, and it wasn't until he heard the sharp whistle of the kettle that he woke up. Groggily he sat up, grabbed his glasses, and padded into the kitchen.

Al was bustling throughout the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Three sets of plates, silverware, and napkins sat some-what neatly on the kitchen table, and Al was getting out three mugs. The pans, containing what Matthew guessed was eggs, hash, and bacon, simmered on the stovetop, giving off a wonderful smell.

Al glanced up to see Matthew make his way into the kitchen. "Sorry if I woke you, Mattie. I was up anyway and thought I'd treat you guys to a nice breakfast this morning."

"It's fine," Matthew assured. "You need any help?"

"Would you mind checking on the toast for me? And would you like coffee or tea?"

"Coffee's fine," Matthew answered, as he grabbed a small plate and began to stack the toast on it. "We letting Arthur sleep in, or should I go wake him?"

"Little late for that now," Arthur grumbled, as he joined the fold in the kitchen, still in his nightwear and a robe. He sat down at the table, and Al slid a stewing mug of tea in front of him. Arthur absentmindedly toyed with the bag, as he watched the boys finish the last of the preparations.

Finally the plates full of eggs, toast, potatoes, and bacon were set on the table, and Al and Matthew sat down with their cups of coffee. Al had scarcely taken two sips before he hurried off to grab the newspaper.

"I guess we'll just serve ourselves then," Arthur remarked, as he began to fork a heap of eggs onto his plate. Matthew began to do the same, and by the time Al returned with a paper under his arm and his nose red from the cold, they had served themselves and had started. Al tossed the newspaper on the table, which Arthur instantly snatched up and folded out. Matthew watched in part horror, and part fascination as his brother put enough food on his plate to feed a small village, and began to eat.

Unlike most times, the conversation at breakfast was very pleasant; Arthur read aloud various interesting articles from the paper, and general small talk was exchanged with one another, all without any conflict or argument. Matthew was impressed.

The plan for the day was to show Arthur around the city and its major sights, come back to the apartment for lunch, and then go out again until dinner, which they'd get at a restaurant. Matthew was relieved to find that Al had taken the care to avoid some of the attractions dating to the Revolution. He had to give Al some credit; he wasn't entirely tactless.

They finished breakfast, cleaned up, and got ready and dressed for the day. Matthew was the quickest, and he passed the time fidgeting with the brim of his hat as he waited for his pokier brothers to catch up. Finally they emerged, Arthur shooting a disapproving glance at the worn tweed suit Al was wearing, and Al teasingly rolling his eyes at Matthew in reference to the relative antiquity of Arthur's style. They left the apartment, got into Al's car, and went out into the city.

As they sped down the various streets of New York, Arthur couldn't help but think to himself about how different this city was to a lot of the others he had been. It bustled with life and production just like his own city of London had many times before, and yet it still seemed to have a different air about it. The antiquity that surrounded his London, and just about all the other European cities, was absent from here. Sure there were little nooks and crannies that brought back old memories here and there, like an old church or shop front, but everything else seemed new, updated, and modern. The past was almost completely undetectable in this metropolis, with its tall buildings and flashing lights. If Arthur hadn't been there to see it for himself, he would have never believed that there ever was a past here.

Arthur was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Al and Matthew's conversation up front.

"You see that restaurant up there?" Al said, as he gestured to a bistro further up the road. "I took Lily there for our first date. The food was to die for; I swear it was better than anything I ever had in Italy."

"Don't let one of the Italy brothers hear you say that," Arthur advised. "Romano might just have your head."

Al snorted. "I'd like to see him try."

Al pulled over and parked, and they all got out. They hoofed it to the Woolworth building, Al chattering the whole way there and pointing out various establishments and other things of interest. Arthur noticed many, if not almost all, of his statements involved whether or not he had been there with Lily, and if not, how much of a priority he deemed it was to take her there.

After the eighth or tenth time, Arthur finally decided to say something. "You sure have taken her to a lot of places, old chap. Hasn't she been to any places herself?"

"Not really, actually. She had just moved from Pennsylvania, and hadn't been able to get away from her aunt and uncle to do any real exploring. That is, until she snuck out to a certain speakeasy." Al winked playfully at Matthew. "Thus I've made it a priority to show her as much as the city as I can. There simply is no point in living in going out on the town in the Big Apple without having anyone with you to share the experience.

"I see." Arthur's lips pursed, and Matthew could see a hint of concern building in his face. Al of course, as clueless as ever, didn't notice anything. He went right back to pointing out every little poster, sign, and building, with the same little side notes.

The day flew by as they went skyscraper to skyscraper. Al even took a few detours to show off a few of the construction sites for the new ones going in. Each one was going to be "the highest" or the "tallest" according to Al. They went home for a quick lunch, and then made their way to the Brookyln Bridge. They kicked around there for a while, and then finally piled back into the car to see the Statue of Liberty. All the meanwhile, Al continuously told stories and shared his experiences and outings with Lily, and Arthur's concern and unease continued to build.

Finally they stood gazing out at Lady Liberty, as she stood proudly before the city. Al looked at her with an almost sentimental, fond gaze for a while, and then announced that he was going to find a telephone box to call Henry and solidify their plans. Matthew watched him go, and then when he disappeared from sight, turned once more to face the harbor.

"She's lovely, isn't she?" Matthew said, making small talk.

"A lovely waste of space," Arthur remarked snidely under his breath. To him it was just another reminder of an instance in which he had lost to Francis, and he was never one to take a loss from the Frog with much grace.

"True, but it's a pretty waste of space," Matthew stipulated. The stood staring out into the harbor for a while, before Arthur broke the silence.

"I'm starting to see what you mean about him getting too attached," Arthur finally announced. "He's much more dedicated to this girl than I had initially thought."

Matthew sighed. "I just don't know what to make of it. I know it spells trouble for him later on, but I don't quite know how in the world I'm going to convince him of that."

"Simple, we just tell him to stop. There's no need to beat about the bush, Matthew. We can make him listen and understand."

"I'm not quite sure about that," Matthew admitted. "I feel that if we try and tell him what to do, and try and tell him how to run his life, he's going to push back. It's just kind of the way he is. He doesn't like it when other people tell him what to do; he likes to reach decisions on his own accord." Arthur was silent, and Matthew fidgeted nervously before continuing. "I'm starting to think I should just leave it alone. What's gonna happen is gonna happen, and there's not much we can do to stop it. All we can do is just playing along and try to give nudges and advice when we can, but for the most part he's just going to keep doing what he's doing."

Arthur was silent, but Matthew could see the muscles of his jaw clenching. "If there was one lesson he could never seem to grasp, it was this one. Keep them-" he said, gesturing to the bustling crowds nearby "-at an arm's length. Maybe I was just away too frequently, or maybe he's just too friendly and stupid to figure it out, but he's always been too close for comfort with them."

"Maybe this time the lesson will stick?" Matthew suggested hopefully.

"Or maybe he'll break his heart, and then go ahead and do it again a month later," Arthur snapped. "I just wish he had enough common sense to-"

"Good news guys!" Arthur was cut short by America's shout as he made his way towards him. "Henry said we could come over around three tomorrow, and that he'll probably have dinner ready around four-thirty or five."

"That's awful early, don't you think?" Arthur asked.

Al shrugged. "It gives us more time to digest before desert. Plus, it's Thanksgiving! You're not going to want to have lunch before that meal, so the closer to the afternoon, the better."

"I guess I see you're point," Arthur ceded.

"So, what's next?" Matthew inquired.

"Well, let's see," Al began. "It's about quarter 'til five. Do you guys want to go to go see a few more buildings and places, or do you want to start heading somewhere to eat?"

"I'm okay with going for dinner. What about you, Arthur?" Matthew asked politely.

"I'm fine with it," Arthur answered. "Where did you have in mind?"

"Well, that diner near my place is pretty good," Al suggested.

 _Oh, for the love of God, please no,_ Matthew thought to himself. That was the last thing they needed, having Arthur, Al, and Lily all in the same small, public vicinity. "I don't know if I'm really in the mood for diner food," Matthew lied. "Maybe we could go to that Italian bistro you were showing us?"

Arthur and Al both seemed a little surprised to hear Matthew give his opinion; he rarely spoke his mind about anything, really. "Uh, sure, that's fine," Al answered. "We can go there. That okay with you, Arthur?"

"Yeah, I'm fine with it," Arthur replied, as he gave Matthew a funny look. Matthew tried very hard not to fidget nervously.

They walked back to where the car was parked, piled in, and departed for the bistro. Dinner, despite all the worries and tensions earlier, was jovial. Arthur told humorous stories about their friend/brother Francis, and they were received with no shortage of laughter.

"This girl had just slapped him in the face," Arthur made out amongst chuckles, "But that never stopped him before. He looks down at her with this sort of bemused grin, and says, 'Gorgeous, is it not?' She looks at him all puzzled like, and he says again, 'My face. It was just so gorgeous you had to feel it, oui?'" Arthur paused to catch his breath, while Matthew and Al sat there laughing their heads off. "He scarcely had time to blink before she kicked him right in the bollocks!" Al and Arthur combined nearly took down the house, while Matthew brushed tears out of his eyes. Slowly the laughter subsided into a few chuckles here and there, and finally died once the waiter came with the check. Al managed to snatch it before either Matthew or Arthur could, and when they protested. he waved them off saying it was no trouble, and that it was his way of saying thank you for them coming out from so far away.

They grabbed their hats and coats, went back out into the cold, and piled back into the car. It was quieter on the way back, the group having been exhausted by their very active day. Even Al seemed somewhat quieter, but he still gazed wistfully at the dimmed lights of the diner as they passed, with a slight grin on his face.

Matthew couldn't quite rid himself of his concerns over his brother, but if anything Arthur's tribulations had reaffirmed his decision to step back a bit. It was simply a truth of life that Alfred F. Jones was going to do what he wanted to do, and that was that. It also was a given, however, that Arthur Kirkland was going to insist on his own way, and another unchanging pattern was Matthew's ever persistent need to worry and fret over the well-being of those around him.

They pulled up to the house, got out, and made their way up the stairs. Bodies tiredly flopped down onto couches and chairs, and cigarettes and lighters were passed person to person. No one really felt the need to speak much; rather, they felt comfortable and calm in the slight dimness of the small living space, and the comfort of one another's company. Arthur being Arthur, asked a few questions about their plans and modes of transportation for tomorrow, but after Al asked him to repeat a question four times, he realized that at this point in the night, he wasn't going to get a clear answer.

Finally the cigarettes were burnt down, and the the pleasantry of the calm was outweighed by the need of sleep. Arthur disappeared into the bedroom, and Al had passed out on the love seat half and hour ago. Thus Matthew quietly got ready for bed, and with a final glance at the snoring figure of his brother, turned out the light.


	7. Chapter 7

Matthew glanced anxiously at his watch. It was two, and if they planned on arriving at York's house at three, they would need to get going in the next fifteen minutes. They were waiting for Lily to arrive at Al's apartment, so they could all depart for Henry's house together.

Al kept glancing up at the door, his head perking up every time he heard a noise, in hopes that it would be the buzzer. He had offered to walk with her, but she had brushed him off, saying it was no trouble. Arthur, on the other hand, seemed to become more and more irritated by the second as he glared at the clock. They had hardly been waiting ten minutes, and already Matthew was worried about the rest of the evening.

Suddenly the harsh sound of the buzzer rang, and Al disappeared out of the apartment and down the stairs. Moments later he reappeared with the slight figure of Lily under his arm.

"Guys, this is Lily!" he announced, with a sweeping gesture of his arm. "And Lily, these are my brothers, Matthew and Arthur. Arthur's the older one, and Matthew's the twin."

"I can see that," she noted, and both Matthew and Arthur shook her gloved hand. She was dolled up in a nice green dress and pinned-up hair, but she still retained an element of natural beauty that many girls lacked in this modern era. Matthew could tell that she was a good fit for Al; whether or not that was a good thing, only time would tell.

"Is it about time to leave?" Matthew suggested.

"I'd say so," Arthur replied, shooting the clock on the wall one last withering glare. "Are you driving, Alfred, or are we walking?"

"Driving. Henry lives in the suburbs, so it'll be a bit too long of a hike to hoof it," Al answered. "You guys go on ahead, I'll grab the keys."

Arthur and Matthew made their way out of the apartment, but Lily waited outside the door for Al. Matthew could just barely make out their conversation as they made their way down the stairs.

"How come you guys all have different accents?" Lily asked Al quietly.

"Uh, well," Al began hesitantly. "Our family's not your average family I suppose. It's kind of a long story, but basically Arthur's spent most of his life in England, Mattie's spent his in Canada, and I've been in the States for mine."

"Oh. I see," Lily responded, and didn't press any further.

They piled into the car, Al and Lily up front and Matthew and Arthur in the back. Al flashed Lily an assuring smile as he started up the car. She smiled back at him, but still felt a bit nervous. She hadn't met any of these people before, and she couldn't help but feel a bit shy. She continuously reminded herself that they were all close friends and family of Al, and she had nothing to be afraid of, but that didn't stop her from staring quietly out the window for a good portion of the trip while Al, Matthew, and Arthur made small talk about the layout of the city.

Matthew noticed her uneasiness. He really could sympathize, considering that staring quietly out the window and feeling out of place is what he did during most world conferences. He made a weak effort to try and engage her in the conversation.

"Lily, Al tells me you're relatively new to the city. Where did you move from?" he asked her politely.

"Pennsylvania," she answered. "My dad's a veterinarian, but we owned a little bit of acreage and some livestock, and did a bit of farming on the side."

"Veterinarian? Is it a family business?" Arthur inquired.

"Nope. My dad partnered with a local practitioner and took over when he retired," Lily explained. "He did mostly livestock, not a lot of small animals, but he still had a small clinic in the house. I'd help him out time to time, but my mom helped him out the most."

"Do you have any siblings? Any brothers planning on taking over the practice?" Arthur asked. Matthew glanced over at him, and Al glanced at him through the rearview mirror, both of them confused at his sudden peaked interest in Lily.

"I had an older brother who was planning on becoming a vet and taking over the practice, but then the Great War happened, he enlisted, and, well..." Lily dropped off, and looked down into her lap again.

"My condolences," Arthur said sincerely. The car got quiet, and Al gently placed one of his hands on Lily's, which were folded and in her lap. He shot Arthur a glare through the rearview window, but he didn't notice, as he was staring out the window at the houses passing by. It was hard for them sometimes to get reminders like this of the cost of their wars and battles over the years. They were aware of it, and held it in constant knowledge and reverence, but still, sometimes it took moments like this to remember the people at home who'd never get to see their fathers, brothers, friends, and husbands, all because of their inability to find a permanent solution to the constant influx of conflict and disparity throughout the ages.

Surprisingly enough, it was Lily who broke the glum mood. "What about you guys; are you the only ones, or are there more?"

"Well, there's one other brother, Francis. He's the oldest, and currently resides in France," Matthew answered, while Arthur scowled at the ground.

"All the way in France?" Lily wondered aloud. "Does he speak French fluently?"

"It's actually his first language, along with Matthew here," Al responded.

"I learned English and French simultaneously, so it's sort of my first language, but not the only one," Matthew clarified.

"Would you mind speaking some for me?" Lily asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Uh, sure," Matthew answered hesitantly, glancing nervously at Arthur as his scowl deepened. "C'est vraiment dommage que Francis ne puisse pas faire le voyage."

"Dépend de qui vous demandez," Arthur snarked back.

"What are they saying?" Lily whispered to Al.

"Matthew said it's a shame Francis couldn't make it, and Arthur replied that it depends who you ask. Arthur and Francis never really got along all that well, even though they spend much more time together than the rest of us do. I think they enjoy bickering with each other more than anything," Al explained. "Personally though, I think they're both equally a handful.

Lily snorted. "And I suppose you're just an Easter lamb among wolves, huh?"

"Fair point. Makes me wonder how in the world Mattie became the way he is," Al mused.

"Well, I guess somebody had to be level-headed, otherwise you'd probably cause another World War. God has his ways, I suppose," Lily joked.

"Yeah, he sure does," Al replied weakly, a little unsettled by the unintended allusion in her joke.

Al all of a sudden slowed down, and began scanning the suburban brownstones for Henry's house number. He spotted it, and then parallel parked along the street where Henry had recommended. They all filed out of the car, and pooled around the door as Al rang the buzzer.

Henry opened the door. "Happy Thanksgiving all! Come in, make yourselves at home."

Henry lead them into the living room, where another person was already sitting, reading a book.

"Will! How are you! I haven't seen you in a while!" Al greeted the person cheerfully.

The figure set his book down and stood up to greet them. He was about an average height and build, and was very similar in appearance to Henry, except his simpler taste in clothes and style. His hair was about the same shade of brown as Henry's, but instead of greenish-hazel, his eyes were a light brown, and his face was a little less narrow. "I've been well, thank you for asking. How about yourself?" he responded, with a polite smile.

"Oh, I've been fantastic!" Al answered, as he swung his arm around Lily. "You know Arthur, and probably remember Mattie, but this is probably the first you've seen of Lily. Lily, this is Will. He's the co-worker I was telling you about that owns a place down in the Poconos. Lily's from Pennsylvania."

"Oh, really?" Will said, with surprise that Al knew was feigned. People like them knew when someone was from their domain as soon as they get close. Will probably knew the second she walked into the house that she was from Pennsylvania, the same way Arthur knew the newsie that sold him his newspaper this morning had born in England, despite his lack of an accent.

"Yup. In Chester County. Do you live in the Poconos permanently, or is that just a holiday residence?" Lily asked.

The two of them began talking about the various regions of the state, while Al, Matthew, Arthur, and Henry all caught up.

"Man, Arthur, how long has it been since we've seen each other?" Henry asked, with the hint of smirk on his face.

"About a hundred and fifty years," Arthur responded curtly.

"Wow! That's a long time." Henry whistled. "Still, feels longer. Hey, have you been getting my Christmas gifts?"

"If you mean the package I receive ever July, then yes," Arthur affirmed, his irritation becoming more apparent with Henry's every word.

"I'm glad. I never heard back, so I wasn't sure you were getting them."

"Henry, can I see you for a moment?" Al asked politely, and Henry shot Arthur one last teasing grin.

"Henry, I know it's tempting, but could you please hold off on pissing him off, please?" Al pleaded when they were alone in the kitchen. "For some reason he's been more short fused than usual, so please don't rub salt in the wound."

"Short fused? Have you met the guy?" Henry responded indignantly.

"I get it. You got your licks in. I've gotten mine in for the last one hundred and fifty years too, and will continue to for the next century, but just hold off for now, please? I've seen you be pleasant. I know it exists, so please, just fake it until you make it, okay?"

"Alright boss," Henry complied. "But you better not get in the way of my Christmas presents."

"You kidding? I want to pitch in next year!" Al laughed.

Something rang shrilly in the kitchen. "Well, duty calls," Henry muttered, as he threw on an apron and resumed preparing dinner.

Al walked back to the living room, and plopped down on the couch in between Matthew and Lily. He threw his arm around her and drew her close as he leaned back, and she seemed to visibly relax when he did so. She looked up at him, he looked down back at her, and then she gave him a quick peck on the lips, turning slightly red after doing so. Matthew and Will held back a sad sigh as they watched, but Arthur looked down at the ground and glared, furious with Al over the whole endeavor. However, masking his irritation was something he had learned over the years, and when he looked back up, his face was once again neutral in its expression.

"So, Lily, why'd you leave Pennsylvania for New York?" Arthur asked out of the blue.

Lily seemed a little taken aback by the sudden personal question. "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question please?"

"I asked why you left Pennsylvania for here," Arthur clarified. "Certainly it must have been very different from what you're used to. Did you come here for work, or..."

"Well," Lily began, "My aunt and uncle run a small diner nearby Al's apartment, and I wasn't doing much at home, and it was pretty boring out there, so I figured I'd come to the Big Apple for a little adventure, and work at the diner." She answered confidently, but Al noticed the way her hands were fidgeting, and he began to get a bit more irritated with Arthur.

"And your aunt and uncle were happy to take you in? Do they have kids of their own?" Arthur continued.

"They have two sons, both of them married and out of the city. They were short staffed, and had the extra room, so they were happy to take me in. That being said, they have been a bit protective." Lily said with a chuckle. "Every time I ask them if I can head out, I get bombarded with thousands of questions. Who are you with, where are you going, when will you be back. You'd think I was sixteen the way they carry on!" Lily joked.

"Well, with men like Al about, they have the right to be a bit concerned, I suppose," Arthur mused. Lily and Will gave a weak chuckle, but Matthew looked worriedly over at his brother, who smiled, but with a clenched jaw and fist.

"Say, Lily, what's your surname?" Arthur went on.

Al removed his arm from around her, and abruptly sat up on the couch, shifting Matthew. "Her last name is Sauers. Lily is short for Lillian, and her middle name is Grace, after her grandmother. Her mother's name is Helen, her father's name is Scott, and her brother's name was John, but they called him Jack. Her aunt and uncle are Florence and Harold Thompson, and the diner they run is An American's Diner. Oh, and Lily's favorite color is blue, she loves the scent of tulips, and she grew up with a horse named Blaze and a dog named Schmitty. Anything else you want to know?" Al snapped.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Arthur's irritation was no longer masked, and Al's fury could fuel a furnace. Lily looked up at Al in shock, Will looked nervously between the two men, and Matthew buried his face in his hands. Just in time, Henry poked his head out of the kitchen, and announced it was just about time for dinner.

Will quietly got up, and made his way into the dining room. Al and Lily got up, and joined him. Arthur began get up to head in as well, but Matthew stopped him.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Matthew asked quietly.

Frustrated, Arthur flopped back into his seat with an exasperated sigh.

"You need to stop interrogating the poor girl at every opportunity. She hasn't done anything wrong, and questioning her like that is only going to make things worse," Matthew advised.

"It's-"

"It's a lovely evening, with good company, and with the best American traditions of stuffing ourselves silly. I know it's not ideal having Lily here, but please, try to be decent, eh?" Matthew reasoned. Arthur nodded curtly, and the two of them joined the rest of the group in the dining room.

The table was beautifully set with some very high quality, old silverware and dinner plates. Dishes littered the table, stuffed to the brim with mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, carrots, peas, and corn. Most importantly, however, was the humongous turkey in front of Henry that glimmered succulently and put off a wonderful smell. Matthew's mouth was watering by the time he took his seat, and was ready to eat.

Al said a quick grace, Henry carved the turkey, and they dug in. Matthew's words of wisdom seemed to have taken root with Arthur, as he provoked the matter no further. Al, in the sheer warmth and cheerfulness of his personality, seemed to have forgotten about the matter entirely, and was chatting Arthur's ear off about the best turkey he had ever had, and the perfect consistency of mashed potatoes. All in all, it was a very pleasant feast, both with the food and the company.

They had made an impressive dent in the dishes, much more than Matthew had thought possible. Everyone was full and relaxed as they gently slipped into a food coma. Henry began to get up to start doing dishes, but Will sat him down, and said he'd take care of it. Matthew offered to help, and the two of them gathered plates, and disappeared into the adjoining kitchen. Al stretched and yawned, and then suggested they go back to the sitting room.

Everyone was calm and placid, lounging sleepily on the cushy chairs and couches, while Matthew and Will could be heard bustling in the kitchen. Eventually Henry excused himself to go prepare desert, leaving Al, Lily, and Arthur alone.

"So, Arthur, how's Alistair and the group doing?" Al asked, making small talk.

"Alright, I suppose. Seamus really has his hands full with the partition and all, so we'll see how it goes. They aren't proactively hating me, so that's a plus." Arthur shrugged. "To be honest, international affairs have had me a little preoccupied, so who knows what sorts of things they're getting up to."

Lily seemed a bit confused, so Al leaned down and whispered to her, "I'll explain later." She nodded, but still seemed a bit lost in the conversation over world affairs.

She was saved by the reappearance of Henry, Will, and Matthew, carrying two pies and a stack of desert plates. "I figured we might as well have desert in here," Henry explained. He set the pie down on the coffee table, and then made his way to a small cupboard in the corner of the room. Matthew was passing out the plates, when Henry reappeared with a bottle of wine and glasses.

"Figured I'd whip this out for a special occasion, though I'm not sure how great it's going to taste with the pie," he announced, frowning at the bottle. "Still, might as well help ourselves."

"Henry, this apple pie is delicious," Al said around a mouthful of it.

"Don't thank me," Henry noted as he began to pour Matthew a glass. "Brooklyn made 'em, and dropped them off for me, the doll. I asked her to come, but she said she had other plans for the evening, and just wanted to make sure I didn't burn the house down trying to make a decent pie."

"You did alright on the turkey, I don't see why you couldn't scrap together a decent pie," Arthur pointed out.

"It's interesting, I'm actually a decent cook, but for some reason I can't bake to save my life," Henry explained. "Just one of my little idiosyncrasies."

"Is that so?" Al wondered aloud. "It's funny, it's just about the opposite with Arthur here. He can bake scones like a pro, but don't let him touch the stove if you value your life."

Arthur snorted. "I'm not that bad."

"Dépend de qui vous demandez," Matthew muttered.

Arthur pretended not to hear him.

And so the evening went on, as the pies were eaten up and the wine drank. Al and Matthew limited themselves to one glass, Lily and Will didn't have any at all, but Arthur was starting to get a little red in the face on his third, which was surprising, as Henry was on his fourth and didn't seem fazed at all. Once everyone had had their fill, and the bottle was finished, Henry and Al cleaned up and finished off the rest of the dishes.

If it had been quiet before, it was downright silent now, as everyone began to doze in their chairs. Henry and Al returned shortly, and Al plopped down next to Lily, waking her up a bit.

"You tired?" Al asked her quietly.

"A bit," she yawned. "I had trouble sleeping last night, and woke up really early this morning."

"Well, we won't stay much more than an hour or so," Al surmised. "We'll get you home at a decent hour."

"You don't have to worry about me, it's your family and friends, stay as long as you like," Lily insisted.

"An hour more with them and I might leave without them," Al joked, getting a chuckle from Lily. He kissed her on her forehead, and she snuggled into him, dozing in his shoulder. He glanced down at her every once in a while, smiling at how cute she looked napping in his shoulder, all tuckered out.

The rest of the company didn't exactly share his contentment. Henry and Will shared a look, and Matthew sighed to himself, saddened by their affection. While Matthew became saddened, however, Arthur became annoyed. His eyebrows drew together, and he scowled at the couple cuddling on the couch.

Finally after a few terse seconds, Arthur cleared his throat. "Alfred, may I see you outside for a moment," he requested stiffly, his anger just barely hiding below the surface.

Al's expression grew concerned, as he had a feeling that whatever Arthur wanted to see him about wasn't pleasant. He gently removed himself from Lily, trying not to wake her. It was to no avail, as her eyes fluttered open in confusion.

"Where are you going?" she asked sleepily.

"Arthur and I are just going on a quick jaunt. We'll be back in a jiffy," he told her, flashing a reassuring grin.

Lily didn't seem convinced, but she didn't say anything as the two men went outside. Matthew, Will, and Henry all shared a concerned look, however, as they left.

Al and Arthur made their way outside, stopping underneath a lone streetlamp right on the sidewalk in front of the townhouse. Al waited in anxious anticipation as the short Brit stood with his back turned to him, ready to turn on him any moment now.

Sure enough, within seconds Arthur rounded on Al. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.

"I'm sorry?" Al asked, taken aback. "I don't know what you mean."

"You bloody know what I mean," Arthur spat. "How in the hell, did it cross your mind, that it would be all _fine and dandy_ to be messing around with a human!"

"Last time I checked, I was a human too," Al retaliated.

"No you are not! You're a nation, damn it!" Arthur shouted, stamping the ground. "You were very insistent on that point one hundred and fifty years ago, if I remember correctly. You've been alive for centuries; she's been alive for hardly two decades. So where in that thick skull of yours did you think it was a good idea to be messing around with her?!"

"I don't know, probably in the same place of your thick skull that you thought it was any of your goddamn business!" Al yelled back.

"Any of your goddamn business? I raised you, you ungrateful wanker! I sacrificed time, resources, hell, even armies to keep you alive and care for you, and this, this is what I get in return?"

"Oh, boo hoo," Al mocked. "Like you weren't getting anything out of the deal, like you were only doing it out of the goodness of your heart! I might actually believe some of that bull crap if you were actually around for more than three weeks a year!"

"You think I didn't have better things to do? I was, and still am, the bloody British Empire, you twat. I had to manage colonies all across the world, wage countless wars, and cater to Parliament and a monarchy. I still do. So next time my schedule opens up and becomes completely free and empty of all business affairs and tasks, I'll be sure to send you a letter. It should only take a few centuries, at the very most," Arthur said sarcastically.

"Oh, like I'm just sitting around on my ass all the time over here," Al spat back.

"I don't know, you must be if you have the time to flirt around with some harlot and take her around all the time."

Arthur's expression of rage faltered when he saw Al's scowl shift into a look of absolute fury. Before he could even blink, he was knocked flat on his back, holding his gushing nose.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL TWAT!" Arthur screamed, as he jumped on his feet and threw a punch back at Al. Fists and cuss words were flying, and the both of them were so preoccupied that neither of them saw Matthew running out the door until he was right in between them.

"Hey, hey, HEY! KNOCK IT OFF!" he yelled, but neither of them seemed to even notice him, as they struggled to get through him to each other. One of Al's flailing fists missed it's mark, and got Matthew right in the jaw. Time seemed to stop, and the brothers stopped fighting, as they watched Matthew stagger back and clutch his jaw.

"Mattie, I'm so sorry," Al began, with a look of pure regret on his face.

Matthew looked up at him, and then threw an uppercut right into his gut. Al gasped, as he staggered back and clutched his abdomen. Arthur began to laugh, but was quickly silenced by a glare from Matthew. It was unnerving when Matthew got like this, as it happened rarely, but never without ample provocation.

"Listen up you hoseheads," Matthew growled. "We're going to go back in there, and you two are going to shut the hell up for the rest of the evening. Got it?"

They both nodded, partially out of fear. They headed back in, where Will, Henry, and Lily looked up in surprise at their bruised and battered faces. More so, they were shocked by the look of absolute fury on Matthew's face.

Aggravated, they plopped back down into their seats, and everyone was quiet. Lily looked up worriedly at Al, scanning all the bruises on his face.

"What hap-Mmph!" Lily started, before being silenced by a deep kiss from Al. Arthur looked like he wanted to throw something, and Matthew dejectedly announced that they better get going.

Henry and Will said their goodbyes, and watched them pull away in the car from the window. "So much for not pissing him off," Henry muttered. Will grunted in agreement, and they left the window.

The atmosphere was so tense on the way home you could cut it with a knife. Everyone was silent, and Arthur and Al were still very much pissed at each other. Matthew looked sympathetically at Lily. She looked so confused, and he wanted to tell her this wasn't a rare occurrence, but he couldn't. He just hoped she knew it wasn't her fault; these two were just idiots.

Finally they pulled up to the diner. Al leaned over and gave her a quick peck, and she said goodbye to the boys and got out of the car. Matthew rolled his window down, and stopped her.

"Lily, I'm so sorry about everything," Matthew apologized quietly. "These two can be such idiots sometimes. They do things like this more than you'd think. Don't worry about it, it's a pretty normal occurrence."

"Uh, okay, if you say so," she replied halfheartedly. "Have a good night Matthew."

They pulled away, and began driving to the apartment.

Arthur almost started again. "Well, I hope you're-"

"Eh! Knock it off, I've had just about enough of it tonight, so dry up!" Matthew snapped.

Arthur quieted up, but he sulked in the back seat for the rest of the trip, not making eye contact with anybody. They parked at the apartment, got out, and as soon as Al unlocked the door, everyone went to bed, without so much as a goodnight. Matthew stared at the ceiling for hours, unable to sleep, feeling completely hopeless and utterly exhausted by the craziness of his family.

 _Thank God Francis isn't here. I don't think I could handle any more of this,_ " Matthew thought to himself, right before drifting off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

It was chilly in more ways than one that morning. Al had still gotten up and cooked breakfast and made coffee and tea for everyone, but conversation that had created the cheerful atmosphere of the past couple of mornings was no where to be found. The three brothers sat quietly at the table sipping their coffee and tea, not uttering a peep.

Al kept glancing guiltily at the dark bruise on Matthew's jaw, despite Matthew's best efforts earlier to convince him it really didn't hurt at all. Besides, of the three people at the table, Matthew's face was definitely the least battered. Arthur's nose was a little crooked and he almost looked like a raccoon, and Al's face was so littered with bumps and bruises it was hard to look at. Luckily, being nations, it would heal faster than it would for a normal human, but for now, it was pretty hideous.

Arthur cleared his throat, and Matthew and Al looked up in anticipation. "I'm leaving tomorrow," Arthur announced, "And I'll be moving into a hotel room until then. I'll be gone by this afternoon."

"Oh, Iggy, don't do that!" Al protested. "You're my guest! I can't let you check into a hotel!"

"Well, you seemed to have no qualms about breaking my nose, so I figured that this wouldn't be an issue," Arthur said coldly.

Al looked down guiltily at the table. Matthew couldn't help feeling sorry for the guy. "Arthur, I'm sure he regrets it, can't you just stay one more day?" Matthew pleaded.

Arthur sat pensively, mulling over his options. He stared at Al as he thought, who was giving him the most irresistible puppy dog look he could conjure. Arthur sighed. "Fine, I'll stay one day. But don't make me regret it," he warned.

Al's face lit up with excitement. "Don't worry, Arthur, I got just the thing for us to do," he said with a smirk.

Matthew looked at him somewhat suspiciously, wondering what in the world he was up to. "What sort of thing were you thinking?" Matthew asked innocently.

"Well, you can't come to New York City without stopping by at least one speakeasy, these days," Al declared triumphantly. "And I know just the one for us tonight!"

Matthew groaned inwardly. On one hand, he did not want to go to that dingy, overcrowded place again, and on the other, he had a feeling that alcohol and these two idiots might not be the greatest idea right now. Still, he was helpless to stop it. He looked hopefully at Arthur, internally willing him to protest.

"Well, I suppose it can't hurt," Arthur mused. "As long as it's clean and safe, I'm willing."

 _Whelp, I'm screwed_ , Matthew thought to himself.

The day was spent packing and banging out a bit more paperwork. Al called Henry to thank him for a lovely evening last night, and Matthew decided that he'd probably catch a boat tomorrow too to head back to Canada. There wasn't as much tension as earlier in the morning, and for the most part, last night's unpleasantries had faded from mind. Well, maybe not completely, as every once in a while Arthur would still shoot Al a somewhat dirty look, especially when his nose started bleeding again. Matthew laid out his nicest suit and shoes, and waited anxiously for the evening to come.

Much to Matthew's surprise, the speakeasy Al had chosen for tonight was a different one than before. He didn't know why he was so surprised, of course there were more than one speakeasy in New York City, but he figured Al would just take him to the same one, which was the closest to his apartment. Once they went inside, however, Matthew began to understand why Al chose this one.

The staircase down to the basement was painted a lovely shade of blue, with freshly stained wood paneling. The stairs hardly creaked at all as they made their way down, and interesting paintings lead the way down. At the bottom of the stairs was a set of double doors, the muted sound of beautiful music and chattering wafting through. Grinning, Al swung the door open, and held it for him.

A band of jazz musicians were playing on a stage, and tables and chairs were scattered nearby, filled with well dressed men and women smoking and drinking. Some couches were littered in the out of the way corners, and a bar lined the wall parallel to the stage. Unlike the other establishment, none of the wallpaper was peeling, none of the furniture was chipped, and no mysterious odor permeated the air. For once, Arthur couldn't seem to find anything to disapprove of, unless you counted the illegality of it's existence.

Al beelined past them, and led the way to the bar. They sat down at the bar, and ordered.

The night flew by, even though all they really did was talk, listen to music, smoke, and drink. Matthew tried his best to stay sober due to the irrefutable fact that Arthur and Al were going to get plastered, but by the end of the night, he was admittedly a bit buzzed. Arthur was tipsy in the first hour, and Al wasn't far behind. By one o'clock Arthur had slumped exhaustedly onto the bar, and Al was giggling uncontrollably, all of which Matthew took as a cue to leave. He lead the way back to the apartment, while Al and Arthur sung Yankee Doodle the whole way home, every once in a while pausing to remember the lyrics.

Matthew managed to extract the keys from Al, and let them all into the apartment. Arthur went to bed immediately without any encouragement, but Matthew spent a half hour trying to coax Al into bed. Finally he passed out, and Matthew changed into his night clothes, and went to bed.

Matthew awoke to the sound of violent retching coming from the bathroom. He groaned when he looked at the clock. It was six, and Arthur had to catch a boat at quarter 'til eight. Unfortunately, Arthur was probably the one retching in the bathroom.

Matthew headed to the bathroom door and gently cracked it open. Al was wallowing in the bathtub and groaning, setting down a bucket besides the tub. Arthur was leaning miserably against the toilet, squinting at the light to see who it is. He suddenly lurched towards the toilet, and Matthew averted his eyes as he threw up. "I'll get you guys some water," Matthew offered, and he left the bathroom. He reappeared minutes with two glasses of water, stepping carefully around Al's bucket to hand it to them.

"Arthur, you've got a boat to catch soon, so the second you can I'd start cleaning up and getting ready. I'm going to make some toast and start gathering some of your things together, okay?" Arthur nodded weakly in response. Matthew left, and started bustling about the apartment, making toast while laying out Arthur's clothes, and moving his packed trunk to the front door. Matthew heard one last retch from the bathroom, and then saw Arthur shuffle into the bedroom, and reappear fully dressed, with his night clothes draped over his arm. Matthew took the clothes from him, and gestured for him to sit down at the kitchen table, where two plates of toast and two glasses of orange juice were sitting. Arthur nibbled at it while Matthew packed his night clothes. Matthew went over to the bathroom door and knocked softly.

"Al, are you coming with us to drop off Arthur, or do you want me to do it?" Matthew asked.

Al was quiet for a moment, as he thought over his options. "I'll come, it's only polite. Just give me a minute." Matthew could hear him slowly getting out of the tub, when suddenly he heard him snatch up the bucket, and retch. There was a quiet moment afterwords, and then he heard Al weakly croak out, "Maybe not."

Matthew sighed, and rummaged in Al's coat pocket for the car keys. He found them, and loaded Arthur's luggage into the car. He had just finished loading the last of it when Arthur joined him outside, looking miserable. The car ride was quiet, except for Arthur's slight groans every time they hit a bump. He said a curt goodbye, boarded the boat, and was gone. Matthew sighed to himself, lit a cigarette, and got in the car to head back to Al's apartment.

He found Al dressed and at the kitchen table when he returned, sipping orange juice, nibbling toast, and reading the newspaper.

"Everything go alright?" Al asked him, glancing up over the top of his paper.

"He got on the boat if that's what you're asking," Matthew said flatly. "You feeling a bit better?"

Al shrugged. "A bit. Thanks for making the toast and running Arthur to the harbor, Mattie."

"No problem. Glad I could help." Matthew poured himself a cup of coffee, and sat down tiredly at the table.

They sat in silence for a little bit, until Al finished an article and set his newspaper down. "When's you boat arriving?" he asked.

"Ten."

"We'll probably leave for the harbor in the next hour, then," Al noted. "Do you mind if I make a quick call?"

Matthew nodded, and Al disappeared to find the telephone. He sat there quietly finishing his coffee, and thinking about how ready he was to get back home. Once he had finished up and cleaned up some dishes, he got the last of his bags in order, and waited for Al in the living room. Al finally reappeared, and announced that they better get going.

Al and Matthew sat quietly on a bench at the harbor, watching all the people bustle by. It was a pretty day for November, and if it were not for the harsh breeze coming from the harbor, it would actually be quite warm. A horn blared, and Matthew stood up to board.

"Thanks so much for coming out!" Al said as he enveloped Matthew into a bear hug. "I don't think I could've handled Arthur without you."

"I'd say so," Matthew said gruffly, as he listened to his spine crack several times. Al released him, and Matthew picked up his briefcase. He began to turn towards the boat, but hesitated, and turned back towards Al.

"Give Lily my best," Matthew said, "And take care of yourself, eh?"

"Of course. Now get a move on! The boat might just leaved without you!" he urged.

Matthew nodded, tipped his hat, and disappeared into the crowd getting ready to board.

Al waited and watched the boat leave, wondering why Matthew had seemed somewhat sad. He eventually just shrugged it off, and upon watching the boat pull out of the harbor, he went back to his car, and drove off into the city, an exciting day calling his name.


	9. Chapter 9

Christmas was Alfred's favorite time of year. It seemed to bring the best out of everyone; shop keeps strung lights on the shop fronts, there were wreaths on all the lampposts tied up with ribbon, and people bustled by with stacks of packages in their arms, anxious to wrap them up beautifully and place them under the tree.

The diner was just as festive as everywhere else. Christmas lights joined the neon signs out front, a beautiful wreath went on the door, and a small Christmas tree greeted you as you made your way in, all decked out in tinsel and baubles.

The cheerfulness and festiveness of the diner even motivated Al to throw some tinsel, candles, and other assorted Christmas decorations around his little apartment. Even a little pathetic Christmas tree sat drooping in the corner, struggling to hold up even the lightest of baubles. Al didn't care though, to him it was the most glorious achievement of his festive merrymaking.

Al had taken Lily to a lot of places, and by now she knew just about every corner of their neighborhood, and then some. Not a landmark, museum, or historical site had gone unseen, but the city still had to offer tons of unknown shops and venues to explore. Christmas had opened up a whole new avenue of opportunities as well, with the merry atmosphere yielding splendidly decorated parks and squares. Al and Lily had taken a fancy to strolling through the city and seeing all the fantastic set ups people had produced in the various public streets and areas, and then ending the evening with a cup of hot tea or cocoa at Al or Lily's apartment. Tonight was one of those nights, and Al and Lily sat peacefully in the living room with their mugs of hot chocolate. Al was reading and enjoying an evening cigarette, while Lily bent over one of Al's coats, her brow furrowed in concentration as she reattached a button that had fallen off the poor tattered thing. Minutes ticked by, and they stayed just as they were, perfectly content to enjoy the quiet and each other's presence.

Lily finally finished, and held the coat at arm's length for inspection. Once she had decided it had passed, she got up and headed towards the closet to put it away. She found a hanger wedged in the back most corner, fished it out, and neatly hung the coat inside, making it the only neat thing in there. She closed the closet door, and was about to head back to the living room, when she noticed a calendar hanging crookedly on the door. She straightened it, and then noticed something peculiar. While hers back at home was covered with traveling plans and chores before Christmas, Al's was completely blank for the holidays. It was entirely plausible that Al just wasn't very good at remembering to put stuff like that on a calendar, but Lily couldn't help but wonder if he did have anybody to visit during the season. As she walked back to the living room, she resolved to ask him, and make sure.

Al glanced up as she walked back into the living room, and set his book down. She sat next to him, and nestled into his chest while he wrapped his arm around her. They sat quietly like that for a few minutes, as Lily worked up the nerve to ask him about his Christmas plans. Just as she was about to open her mouth, Al started talking.

"So... Where are you going for Christmas?" he asked.

Lily was a little surprised. He must have read her mind. "Down to my parents' house. Just the three of us, like the good ole' days," she answered, and Al nodded understandingly. "You?"

"Ah, it's just me this year," Al confessed, trying to sound upbeat, but Lily could hear the slight disappointment in his tone. "We're all too busy 'round the holidays to visit each other overseas, so it's usually like this. I kind of like it, really. This way you don't have to share any of the food, it's all yours!" His smile was genuine; Al had a unique gift of finding and truly believing in the best of every situation. However, Lily could see the slight shadow behind his eyes, a shadow that hinted at loneliness and disappointment.

"I guess that's true," Lily agreed. "Then again, there really isn't anything like a good old fashioned family Christmas. Running down the stairs as kids to see what Santa brought, Dad making a fire, Grandma and Mom in the kitchen cooking and baking, it's the best."

"Yeah," Al responded weakly. He looked at the ground for a second, and then looked back up at Lily. "I'll be honest; I've never had a family Christmas."

"You've never had a family Christmas?!" Lily echoed in shock.

"The closest I've ever gotten to it was the one time Matthew and I managed to get together when we were kids," he said somewhat bitterly. "Arthur always seemed to have something calling him back to England around the holidays, I almost never saw Francis, and Matthew and I were either too young to travel or not allowed to visit each other."

Lily didn't know what to say. She couldn't even imagine what that must have been like, and a bitter Al was something she didn't know how to handle. One thing she did know, however, was it just wasn't right to let a man be by himself during the holidays.

"Well, I can't just let you go on never having a traditional family Christmas," Lily stated matter-of-factly. "You'll just have to join us."

Al looked at her in puzzlement. "Are you serious? I couldn't burden your folks like that."

Lily waved him off. "It's always boring with just the three of us, anyways. Plus, I think they're dying to meet you."

Al cracked into a giant smile. "You really mean it?" Lily nodded. He laughed joyously, and enveloped her into his arms. "Oh Lily, you're the best!"

"And you better not forget it!" she teased. Al drew back and planted a kiss on her lips before leaping onto his feet.

"I'm going to go fill out my calendar!" he announced happily, and scurried off to the closet door. Moments later he popped his head back in. "When are we leaving?"

Lily let out a light laugh. "Well, I'm leaving four days before Christmas. It's up to you whether or not you want to join me or come a little later."

Al nodded, broke into a huge smile, and scurried back over to his calendar.

They decided that it would be best if Lily spent a day or two just her parents and her, with Al coming later. Al decided that he would swing by Will's place on the way, spend a night, and then arrive about two days before Christmas. Lily was going to take a train, while Al would be braving the highways, and taking his car.

Lily's aunt and uncle insisted on taking her to the station, so Al didn't get to see her off. It was lonely without her company; hours that were usually broken up with laughter and fun were now almost unbearably long and dull. Still, Al couldn't be more excited as he packed his trunk for the trip, and shopped for gifts for Lily and her family. His excitement carried over, and he set about his Christmas chores like he had never before. Gifts for Francis, Matthew, and Arthur were carefully wrapped, boxed, and mailed in the most likely futile hope that it would be there in time for Christmas. He wrote cards and sent small gifts to all 48 states, and even to a few nations he would be seeing at the ever approaching world conference. He even remembered to call Will to let him know he'd be stopping by, which Will received with polite excitement. By the time he'd crossed off the last thing off his checklist, and the last box of his calendar before his departure date, everything was in order and ready to go, for the first Christmas in a long while.

Al had already dragged his trunk out of the apartment to the car, and was now looking around one last time to make sure he wasn't missing anything. Satisfied, he closed the door, and began to lock up. Suddenly he stopped, reopened the door, and darted back into the apartment. He grabbed a pen, crossed off the last day on his calendar, and ran back outside, hastily shutting the door and locking it before bounding down the stairs, happily anticipating the days to come, and his next adventure.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long. Can't even begin to tell you how crazy these last couple of weeks have been. The next bunch of chapters may be kind of erratic in when I publish, as I've used up my reserve of chapters and my busiest season's about to start. I apologize for the inconvenience, and hope you continue to enjoy!  
Thanks!  
TClemens**

* * *

By the time Al pulled up Will's drive, he was exhausted and hungry. He had been driving for a solid five hours without a break or anyone to break the monotony of the drive. Plus he had a terrible time trying to sleep the night prior, and he had forgotten to pack a lunch. His stomach growled fiercely as he made his way to the front door, interrupting the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the small white farmhouse. He rang the doorbell, and stifled a yawn as he waited.

The door gently swung open, and Will poked his head out to see who it was. Upon seeing Al, he smiled, nodded, and picked up his suitcase without a word. Al, used to Will's quiet nature, followed him in, silent except for the rumbling of his stomach.

Al's mouth began to water as a delicious smell emanated from the kitchen. "What are you cooking, Penn? It smells delicious!"

"That? Oh, that's for the dog." He glanced over, and then cracked a smile at Al's disappointed face. "I'm kidding, of course. I figured you'd be hungry, so I went ahead and made us dinner. Nothing fancy, I'm afraid. Just some soup."

"Soup sounds lovely," Al said almost dreamily. Admittedly, he'd eat just about anything Will put in front of him at the moment. He settled down in the kitchen while Will went upstairs to toss Al's bag into his room for the night. He looked around the room for a bit, taking note of the light layer of dust on just about everything. The only thing that didn't have a layer of dust was a framed grainy photograph hanging by the old kitchen table. Al sat down at the table, and studied the picture. He instantly recognized it as the group portrait they had taken a few years back of all 48 states and Al. He smiled as he looked at the happy crowd, and then yawned. He leaned back in the chair, and closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly something warm placed itself on his knee. Al opened his eyes, and looked down to see a grey-muzzled springer looking up at him expectantly. Al scratched the dog behind the ear, and the dog grunted in appreciation, leaning into Al's hand.

"I see Briar found you," Will noted as he walked in.

"I haven't seen this little rascal in ages. How long have you had him for, again?" Al asked.

"Oh, about six or seven years," Penn mused, as he got bowls out and began to serve the soup. "He's great company; this place gets awful lonely sometimes."

"I can imagine," Al sympathized. Penn slid a bowl and a spoon in front of Al, and without hesitation he began to dig in, ignoring the burning sensation in his mouth. Penn took his time, leaning back in the old hand carved chair, scratching the head of old Briar next to him.

Seconds ticked by on the old clock over the pantry, and Al and Will sat in silence, except for the occasional slurping of soup.

"How'd things turn out with England?" Will asked out of the blue.

Al waved it off. "That? Oh, that was nothing. He was grumpy for a night and a morning, and then it all blew over. Though I still don't know why it set him off that much," Al pondered aloud. "He's usually one for incessant nagging and snarking, not sudden bouts of rage."

"It could be he's just worried about you," Will suggested. "Some people get like that when they're worried about the one's they care about."

Al snorted. "Why in the world would he be worried about _me_? Last time I checked I wasn't the one in huge debt."

"I think both he and Canada are both a little concerned with your new relationship. It's kind of an unspoken rule not to get involved in things of the like."

"Are you?" Al asked incredulously.

Will's answer was quick. "No, I know you can handle yourself. It isn't your first trip down the block." He paused for a second, mulling over what he was going to say next. "To be honest, though, I think I'm a bit more worried about her."

"Lily?"

"It's got to be confusing for her being in the dark about, well, you know. You spending all day at work doing who knows what, leaving on business trips for who knows where; she's bound to feel a bit closed off from a pretty big part of your life. She seems like a real doll; it'd be a shame to leave her feeling all lonely and abandoned at home," Will explained.

"I'd never let that happen," Al argued.

"I know you wouldn't. Not intentionally. But you've got to admit that she seemed pretty lost in the conversation at York's place."

Al thought about Will's words, set down his spoon, and stared at the grainy photograph on the wall. Finally her put his head in his hands. "Damn it, you're right. How the hell am I going to keep this up?"

"I honestly don't know," Will confessed. "I guess that's something you're going to have to figure out, I suppose." Al merely nodded in response, still sitting quietly in thought.

They sat down in the living room after washing the dishes, and enjoyed a peaceful evening lounging on the old fraying loveseats, with a fire crackling in the hearth and an old dog snoring in the corner.

Will read while Al enjoyed an evening's cigarette, broodingly watching the fire as he thought about his conversation with Will. He had some very important insights, but that didn't change how much Al cared about her, and how much he treasured her company. He tried to think of ways to reconcile this sudden issue, and kept coming up with nothing. Finally an idea cropped up that wasn't horrible, but Al still wasn't sure how realistic it was going to be.

" _A lot of people aren't going to be happy with it_ ," he thought to himself. " _But it's worth a shot_."

He finished his cigarette, put it out in the ash tray, and stretched as he yawned.

"I think it's about time I go to bed," he announced. "Good night, Penn."

"Good night! If you need anything, feel free to ask."

"Will do!" Al called down as he made his way up the stairs.

The next morning was a whirlwind. Will woke up early and threw together a nice breakfast; the both of them occasionally throwing scraps to Briar under the table. Al threw his bag back into the car, and thanked Will for his hospitality. Will thanked him for his company, and Al was back on the road, Will waving goodbye as he backed down the drive and pulled out of sight.

The more Al mulled over his plan as he sped down the road, the better it began to seem. By the time he pulled up to Lily's family home, he was just as confidant as ever. Everything was going to be fine.

No, better than fine. Perfect.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello! I apologize for the insane length of this chapter, it just didn't feel right splitting it all up. A quick warning for those of you who are a bit squeamish, you might want to skip the vet case. I'm use to hearing all sorts of nasty things about guts and slimey goo (Can't handle seeing it though) so I might have been a little too descriptive for some people's taste. If so, apologies. Still, hope you guys enjoy it!  
**

 **-TClemens**

* * *

Al took in a deep breath and steeled himself before knocking on the front door. Being the age he was, there weren't a lot of things he had never done. Meeting the family of a girlfriend was one of them. He nervously glanced back at his car parked by the small wooden barn about sixty yards away from the house. The house itself was an older brick colonial style, complete with freshly painted white window panes and dark green shutters. Cows owned by a neighboring farm meandered in the distance, pawing fruitlessly through the snow for grass. One cow, right at the fence that separated the properties, seemed to stare right through Al, as if bemusedly watching his predicament. Finally deciding that he could no longer withstand the cow's piercing judgement, Al knocked on the solid, white door.

A sharp bark, followed by a solid thump, could be heard through the door as some animal, presumably a dog, rushed towards and slammed into the door. Al heard the muffled voice of a woman tell the dog off, and the door swung open.

Lily looked remarkably like her mother. They both possessed the same slight figure and general anatomy, from head to toe. Mrs. Sauers' hair, despite it's color a bit faded with age, was unmistakably the same auburn as Lily's, and even the shape of their face and jawline were reminiscent of one another. Al couldn't help but think that if you took Lily and aged her about twenty years, if you would probably get the likes of her mother.

Mrs. Sauers smiled at him. "You must be Al! We're so glad to have you, dear. Come in, come in!" She opened the door wider, and Al stepped inside.

"I just put the kettle on. Would you like a cup of tea?" she offered.

"That would be great," Al answered. "Where should I put this?" he asked, gesturing to his bag.

"You're going to be in Jack's old room; it's the first door on the right when you go up the stairs." She pointed down the hallway. "Staircase is just down the hall."

Al thanked her, and made his way up the creaky old staircase with his suitcase. Al wondered if there was a single floorboard in the house that didn't squeak horribly when you stepped on it. He opened the wooden door to his room, and stepped inside.

The bed was nicely made, and there was a small stack of extra blankets on the end table if the night were to get too cold, but other than that, the room seemed like it hadn't been touched in a long time. Al knew there weren't any other options, but he couldn't help but feel that it was wrong staying in a dead man's bedroom. Especially in the bedroom of a man who had died on Al's behalf, whether he knew it at the time or not.

He set his bag down at the foot of the bed, and looked around. A photograph of Jack, probably shortly before he went off to war, sat on a dresser, and would probably haunt Al for the rest of his stay. A medal laid beside the photograph, along with a small stack of letters, presumably sent from the trenches. Al didn't dare touch them. However, his curiosity got the better of him, and he couldn't help but peek into the wardrobe looming in the corner. Old shirts and pants, coated in mothballs, hung next to a cleaner piece: a military uniform. Al had a uniform almost just like it hanging in his larger home in Massachusetts, albeit a bit more decorated. Al couldn't help but feel that it was a bit unfair that his would be adorned with so many patches and medals for doing nothing, when here was a man made the ultimate sacrifice, and got nothing for it other that a post-mortum badge and an old uniform in the closet. Finally Al couldn't look anymore, and he closed the wardrobe and went back downstairs.

He found his way to the kitchen, where Mrs. Sauers was pouring the tea into two quaint little teacups. She glanced up and smiled when he walked in, and gestured for him to sit down at the table.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," Al began, as she set the cup of tea in front of him, "Where is Lily and Mr. Sauers?"

"Oh silly me, I forgot to tell you," she reprimanded herself. "Mr. Sauers had to run out on a case, and Lily went with him to help. They should be back any moment though; it was only a quick stitch job."

"Oh, I see. Is Mr. Sauers very busy during the winter months?" Al asked, making conversation.

Mrs. Sauers shrugged. "Not anymore than he usually is. Spring's usually the worst of the seasons, with all the deliveries, and whatnot. He's stays pretty busy all year, in all honesty."

"I've always had a lot of respect for vets, that sure isn't an easy job," Al stated.

"You don't know the half of it," Mrs. Sauers agreed.

Al was just about to ask her about the dog when the crunching sound of a car making its way up the gravel driveway interrupted him.

"That'll be Scott and Lily," Mrs. Sauers announced. Seconds later the door opened, and Al stood up to greet them.

Mr. Sauers was a short, stocky man, with thick, strong arms that came with the rigor of his work. His hair had mostly gone gray, but the gray was interrupted in certain spots with it's natural shade of brown. He had a square jaw and a squat nose, with thick, wiry eyebrows. Lily barely had any of his traits, except when Mr. Sauers finally made eye contact, Al noticed that his bright blue-green eyes were unmistakably the same as Lily's. He stood for a second taking Al in, as if making a visual examination of whether or not Al met his standards. Lily stood behind him, and waved shyly to Al.

Al racked his brain for something to do or say to make a good first impression, and then finally it came to him. He extended his hand out for a handshake, and smiled. "It's so nice to finally meet you, sir. Thank you so much for allowing me to come for Christmas."

Mr. Sauers' scrutinizing eyes softened, and he accepted Al's hand and shook it firmly. "Of course. We can't very well let a young man be all by himself for the holidays. Not to mention Helen probably would have taken a train to New York herself if she went another week without meeting you," he replied, winking at his wife.

"Oh stop it," Mrs. Sauers playfully scolded her husband. "As if you weren't ready to call Florence and get a report on him."

Al stood there awkwardly as the old married couple continued to banter back and forth about their worries about him dating their daughter. Lily flashed him an apologetic smile, and Al smiled back as if to say, "No worries."

Finally Lily interrupted them. "Mom, when's dinner?"

Mrs. Sauers turned away from her husband and towards Lily. "What, dear?"

"When are you serving dinner?"

"Oh, probably in about an hour or so," she answered, as she glanced at her watch.

"Well, Al and I are going to go ankle around the place a bit," Lily announced. "We'll be back in a bit." She grabbed a bewildered Al by the arm and began to lead him out of the back door.

"Alright, just be back in time for dinner!" Mrs. Sauers called after them, as the door shut behind them.

Lily walked briskly ahead as Al rubbernecked around the place, occasionally glancing up to make sure she hadn't ditched him. Her family's little farm was the epitome of what rural America had to give; it was as scenic as a painting. Lily took no note of it, and continued to beeline straight for the barn.

They finally made it to the barn, and with a little effort, Lily pushed the barn door open. They went inside, and Lily exhaustedly flopped onto a pile of hay in the corner.

"Long day?" Al asked, amused with her behavior.

"You don't know the half of it," Lily grumbled, as she began to rub the head of a black and white barn cat that made its way towards her. Al pondered his options for a second, and then flopped onto the pile of hay next to her.

"The drive go okay?" Lily finally asked.

"Smooth as butter," Al affirmed. "Will seemed happy to have some company too, so I think it all worked out pretty well."

"That's nice," Lily replied half-heartedly, as she fixated on the cat.

Al nodded, and they sat in silence for a little bit, except for the deep rumbling of the purring cat, and the occasional shifting of some animal in one of the stables.

Al couldn't help but notice she seemed a little upset. Her brow was wrinkled, which was usually a giveaway that Al had done something to piss her off. Still, somehow this felt different than her usual anger, not to mention he couldn't think of anything he had done in the last week that could have potentially upset her.

Finally, he decided to ask her about it. "Hey Lily, everything okay with you?"

"Yeah, why?" she said, brushing him off.

"It's just you seem a little...not okay," Al replied awkwardly.

She stared off into the distance as Al awaited a reply, hoping she wasn't about to snap at him.

"It's just," she began, and Al leaned in in interest, "This place is just so full of memories."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Lily sighed, and put her elbows into her lap. "Al, did I ever tell you why I left for New York?"

"'Cuz you wanted to get out and see a bit more of the world," Al stated matter-of-factly.

"That was only half of it," Lily admitted. "The real reason is I think I just wanted to get as far away from this place as possible. After Jack died, it was almost like this place was full of ghosts. I can't come down the stairs in the morning without expecting to see him at the kitchen table, arguing with Dad over some stupid little thing they read in the paper. I remember this little niche being our favorite hiding spot, or this was the room where he bashed his head on the wall, and it just reminds me that he's gone, and never coming back. I had to buy one less Christmas present this year. There's going to be one less setting at the table. It still hurts after all these years!" She began to cry, and Al swung his arm around her, drew her close, and made soothing noises as she wept into his shoulder.

"I don't know what I can say to make it better," Al admitted. "He was your brother. No one in the world will ever replace him. God knows I'd be a wreck if I lost Mattie."

"Not Arthur?" Lily choked out.

Al pondered the matter for a bit. "Probably would depend on the day, wouldn't it?" he joked. Lily let out a weak laugh, despite the tears still streaming down her face.

"The thing is, I don't think hiding from it helps," Al noted. "Running away from it instead of facing the music is only going to prolong the process, and its going to prevent you from finding peace. I didn't know your brother, but I'd imagine that he wouldn't want you trying to ditch your family and your past. Good memories are good memories; you can't let the bad parts sully that."

Lily sniffled into his shirt a little more, and tried to pull herself together. When she finally was together enough to pull away from his shirt, she noticed the large damp spot she had left. "Aw, applesauce. Sorry, Al," she apologized in a shaky voice.

Al looked down. "Eh, no worries. It'll dry." He looked up to see Lily glancing up shyly at him, biting her lower lip.

"Cash or check?" she finally asked, cocking her head.

"Oh doll, you know I always take cash," Al replied, as they moved in closer, and kissed deeply.

They were interrupted by a sudden loud, fierce bleating. "Oh dry up, Sue!" Lily shouted, at what Al could only presume was a goat. Al started chuckling, and Lily shot him a look.

Al stood up from the hay bale and walked over the the rustling stable. Sure enough, an old black and white nanny was pawing at the straw, making no notice of Al.

"Aw, why'd you yell at her?" Al teased. "She's just trying to keep us outta trouble!"

"She's an alarm clock, is what she is," Lily grumbled back. Al got the sense that Lily liked the dog a lot more than she liked this old goat.

They left the barn, and Lily walked him around just a little bit more around the farm, pointing out her old favorite climbing trees and hiding bushes. She seemed to have recovered from her early bout of emotions, and seemed much more at ease now that she had gotten a good cry in.

"You think your parents like me?" Al asked out of the blue.

"Well, they haven't had the chance to really get to know you well, so I think it's a bit too early to tell," Lily answered honestly.

"But they don't dislike me, do they?"

"Not that I can tell, no. So long as you beat your gums with my dad as long as he asks you to, and be your usual pleasant self, I see no reason for them to dislike you. Although they may begrudge you for your encouragement of my 'eccentric' lifestyle," Lily explained.

Al nodded his head in assent, and as they reached the back door, from which a myriad of amazing smells were escaping, he steeled himself to once again try to make the best impression he possibly could.

The delicious smell of beef stew hit Al as soon as he walked inside. Mrs. Sauers stood over the pot, and Mr. Sauers could be heard setting the table in the other room.

"Just in time for dinner," Mrs. Sauers beamed, as Lily and Al walked in. Lily immediately busied herself helping her mother, leaving Al with nothing to do but twiddle his thumbs awkwardly. His discomfort wasn't for long, though. Lily and her mom were swift in serving dinner, and in no time the family was seated in the dining room with steaming bowls of stew in front of them.

Mr. Sauers said a quick blessing, and before long spoons were clinking furiously as everyone dug into the delicious stew. Al tried to remember his manners and pace himself, but the stew was such an improvement from his usual bachelor-concoctions that he had a little difficulty repressing the urge to just pick up the bowl and slurp it down.

Mrs. Sauers seemed to find Al's appetite amusing. "Someone was hungry," she chuckled, as he spooned up the last bit of stew out of his bowl.

Al's cheeks turned a little pink. "That was probably the best beef stew I've ever had. Thank you for making it."

"Of course. I'm glad you liked it so much, honey," Mrs. Sauers replied, visibly flattered.

Mr. Sauers was just about to say something when somewhere further in the house, the phone rang. He sighed, got up, and went to answer it.

"Oh, I hope it's not the Millers' cat," Mrs. Sauers pondered aloud. "Their little girl Mary is really attached to the poor old thing, and it'd be a shame if it died right before Christmas."

"That would be terrible," Al agreed.

Mr. Sauers returned looking haggard. "One of Thompson's cows prolapsed her uterus. Suffice to say I'll be gone a while."

"Thompson? Who's going to help you put it back in? You certainly aren't doing it by yourself with that bad back," Lily protested.

"I'll give Roy a quick ring; he's always willing to help out," Mr. Sauers brushed off her concern.

"Roy is in Delaware with his family visiting his cousins," Mrs. Sauers pointed out. "And Thompson's sons are all away this year, and he's much too old to help you with this."

"Well, it's got to be done, so if I have to do it myself, I'll do it myself," Mr. Sauers remarked.

"Well, why don't you bring Al with you?" Lily suggested. Al and Mr. Sauers both looked at her in surprise.

"With all do respect, Al, I don't think a city boy such as yourself is really up to snuff for a case like this."

"But he's not a city boy! He grew up in Virginia, didn't you, Al?" Lily rebutted.

"Yeah, and I used to work for a dairy farmer over the summer for some extra cash growing up," Al lied, somewhat. He did have experience with cows, only caveat was that it was in the Wild West on a ranch about fifty years ago. He wasn't naïve enough to think he'd get away with not bending the truth a little around Lily and her parents, but he still felt guilty every time he had to do it.

"Well, that settles it. He's going with you, Scott," Mrs. Sauers stated matter-of factly.

Mr. Sauers sighed as Al got up to join him. "Fine, but if the kid comes home covered in muck, blood, and bruises, don't blame me." He disappeared out of the dining room, with Al in hot pursuit.

"Alright, so here's the deal," Mr. Sauers began as they trudged through the snow to his car. "We're dealing with a uterine prolapse. I'm guessing you're not familiar with it."

"Not exactly, no," Al admitted.

"Basically, what happens is after giving birth, the cow's contractions keep pushing, and it spits the uterus out of the vagina. The uterus is thus left hanging around the cow's legs, where she might step on it, or get it dirty, ect. So we need to clean it, and push it back into her, where I'll stitch it up to make sure it doesn't fall out again."

"Understood."

They got in the car, and Mr. Sauers put the keys in the ignition. "One last thing. Are those clothes you're fine getting dirty?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm not particular about this old thing," Al answered, glancing down at his worn suit.

"Alright, suit yourself," Mr. Sauers replied, starting the car, and pulling off into the night.

Mr. Sauers also explained on the drive Mr. Thompson's situation. Apparently he was a stubborn old farmer who wouldn't retire, no matter how much his sons begged him to. They had all married and moved away, but Thompson could not be convinced to sell his farm and move in with one of them. For now he got by on hired help, but tonight he was all by himself.

Mr. Sauers pulled up the long drive, and parked by the barn. A bit of light could be seen escaping through the gaps between the boards, but otherwise the night was pitch black. Mr. Sauers grabbed a kit from the car, and led the way into the barn.

An old, crotchety man in a pair of worn overalls and a flannel shirt glanced up when they entered the barn. His hair was wispy and pure white, and his hands looked very swollen and arthritic. Al could see why people were begging him to retire. Thompson nodded, got up from his stool, and lead the way to a stall.

Al had to keep himself from gagging when he saw the cow. She was facing away from them, meaning her condition was on full display. A red, angry, bloody mass was just hanging from her vagina, dangling by her legs, and yet she seemed completely unperturbed by it. He hardly noticed the small, newborn calf snoozing at her feet at first. He decided to focus on it for a little while, rather than the cow, to try and quell his wave of nausea.

"Her contractions still going?" Mr. Sauers asked.

"As far as I can tell," Thompson replied.

"Alright, let's get started. I need a..."

"Already got it, over here," Thompson cut him off, pointing to a bucket and soap in the corner.

"Thank you. Al!" Mr. Sauers called out, snapping Al out of his fixation on the calf. "Come over here and wash your hands."

Al complied, and plunged his hands in the frigid bucket of water. He watched Mr. Sauers finish up, and when he passed him the soap, mimicked how he had washed all the way up his forearms. When he had finished, Mr. Sauers took the soap and the bucket, and carefully carried it over to the backend of the cow. He took the soap, lathered his hands, and gently washed the exposed organ, his brow creased in concentration. He carefully rinsed the soap off of it, and then gestured to Al to come join him.

Al gulped, and steeled himself. He walked over, and focused on Mr. Sauers, not caring to look at the mass any more than he had too.

"Alright, Al, this is the tricky part. You and I are going to lift it, and carefully reinsert it back into the cow, but she might strain a bit against us, so be prepared to get a little...squeezed," Mr. Sauers warned. "You ready?"

"Yup! Just tell me what to do!" Al said with false enthusiasm, personally not looking forward to picking up a cow uterus.

Mr. Sauers directed Al where to position himself, and on the count of three, they lifted the organ together. Mr. Sauers barked out orders, and soon they had lined it up with the cow's vagina, and were getting ready to push it inside.

The uterus was heavier than it looked, which only added to Al's discomfort as he held it. It was sort of smooth and squishy, but he didn't dare squeeze it, for fear it might just explode all over him. He wondered what sort of things normal people usually ended up doing with their girlfriends' fathers, 'cause what he was doing right now certainly wasn't it.

"Alright, sport, time to push."

Al followed Mr. Sauers' directions, and began to try to push it back in. Al had thought this would be the easy part of the process, after all, it was going back from where it came. Unfortunately, it seemed the two entities no longer found each other compatible, as it was much less similar to a puzzle piece, than it was to a square peg trying to go into a round hole.

"Keep pushing," Mr. Sauers encouraged, redirecting Al's attention. Al was scared to push with **all** his strength, for fear he might damage the organ in doing so. Still, he made use of a little more of his unusual strength at Mr. Sauers' encouragement.

The uterus began to slide in, an inch at a time. After what felt like a solid fifteen minutes of pushing, the organ was almost fully within the cow. Realizing what was coming next, Al gulped, closed his eyes, and continued pushing.

Sure enough, they pushed inside the cow. Al tried not to think too hard about the current location of his hands, but it became hard to ignore as the cow started resisting, subsequently crushing his hands.

"Alright, Al, try to hold it there, and I'll start the stitching. You okay?"

Al nodded his head, and Mr. Sauers carefully removed his hands, and retrieved his needle and thread. Once more, Mr. Sauers inserted his hands, and began positioning the organ within the animal. Al could feel him moving it and adjusting it, until finally his arms began moving in a minimized stitching motion. After a very painful, uncomfortable ten minutes, Mr. Sauers announced that he was done, and they removed their hands.

"Thank the Lord," Mr. Sauers sighed in relief. "That's the first time that's ever gone without a hitch. Must be a Christmas miracle." Thompson, who watched from his stool in the corner while smoking his pipe, grunted in assent. "Let's wash our hands, and go home."

It hadn't taken very long, but Al felt exhausted, and maybe a little shocked, after the whole endeavor. Still, he couldn't wait to put this all in a letter and send it to Mattie, with a little dramatic language, of course.

They pulled up to the house, Mr. Sauers thanked Al, and they both tiredly went to bed. Al took his clothes off, which were bound to smell like cow from now until eternity, and flopped exhaustedly into bed. He stared at the ceiling, and then broke out into a fit of giggling.

 _Well, that's one way to impress a father-in-law._ He thought to himself. He chuckled for a good five minutes, before exhaustion took over and he drifted off, and fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Al checked the mirror one last time to make sure he was presentable before going downstairs. It was Christmas Eve, and already he could hear Mr. and Mrs. Sauers chatting loudly in the dining room downstairs. It had taken a lot of will power not to rush downstairs in his nightwear as soon as he smelled bacon, but he was determined to make a good impression on Lily's parents. Finally realizing that there simply was no slicking his ahoge down, he left the room and headed downstairs.

Mrs. Sauers looked up and smiled warmly upon seeing Al enter the dining. "Good morning, Al! You're just in time for breakfast!" she exclaimed as she filled Mr. Sauers' plate.

Al sat down, and Mrs. Sauers started filling his plate almost right away. "Thank you, Mrs. Sauers. Is Lily up yet?"

"No, 'fraid not," Mrs. Sauers answered. "She tends to sleep in most days."

Al nodded, and turned to look at Mr. Sauers, who hadn't said a word so far. He was buried in his newspaper, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Al had even entered the room.

Mrs. Sauers noticed Al's puzzlement. "He gets like that whenever something peaks his interest in the paper," she explained. "Sometimes I wish he had no idea that there was such a thing as politics. Maybe then I'd get him a little to myself," she laughed.

After a solid five minutes of being completely immersed in the paper, Mr. Sauers looked up. "You won't believe this, Helen. This says..." he faltered upon seeing Al. "Oh, good morning, Al, didn't realize you were up."

Al waved it off. "It's fine, don't let me stop you."

"No, it's quite alright. I really shouldn't; it's not polite to talk politics at the table," Mr. Sauers noted.

"It doesn't bother me; I hear about politics every waking moment of my life, so I'm used to it," Al remarked.

Mr. Sauers hesitated for a moment, but the temptation of discussing his favorite subject proved to be too much for him to withstand in the name of manners. By the time Lily came down the stairs, Mr. Sauers and Al were locked in discussion on various matters, and hardly noticed her presence.

She watched them amusedly as she sat down, and her mother began to fill her plate. It wasn't until Al noticed Mrs. Sauers sit back down that they stopped and acknowledged Lily's presence.

"Oh, sorry sweetheart, I didn't notice you had come down," Mr. Sauers apologized.

Lily chuckled. "I see you've found his favorite topic, Al."

"I don't know if I've so much found his as he's found mine," Al joked. "He's better read than most of my co-workers!"

"What exactly do you do for a living, Al?" Mrs. Sauers asked innocently.

"Oh, uh, it's kind of hard to explain, to be honest. It's mainly international affairs; I was picked up by the government during the war 'cuz of my linguistics, and, well, ended up here," Al partially lied. He didn't specify which war, and technically it was international affairs, but linguistics certainly wasn't the reason he was picked.

"Interesting. Do you travel a lot, then?" Mrs. Sauers inquired.

"About once a year I go abroad, usually. I also tend to have to move around the country a lot too, but recently I've been able to secure a more permanent position in New York," he explained, while subtly winking at Lily. She blushed slightly.

"Al's been to some really interesting places, too. Why don't you tell them, Al?" Lily asked.

"Well, I tend to go to places in Europe, so I've been to meetings in Germany, Italy, France, England, Spain, and Austria. There was one in Russia too, but I think it'll be a while before we make that mistake again; the cold was horrible. I've also been sent to Japan before, and man, that is a really different place. Then of course, there's been meetings in America a few times, and even Canada once," Al rattled off.

"Wow! Color me impressed!" Mrs. Sauers exclaimed. "You've been all over!"

"You fought in the war too, I'd imagine?" Mr. Sauers asked.

Al was starting to get nervous with all these personal questions. "Yes, I was in the Air Force for a short while, but when they realized that I was multi-lingual, they snagged me and started using me as a translator."

Mr. Sauers nodded. "So you didn't see combat."

"I saw a little bit," Al admitted, "But not very much, no." He looked down in slight embarrassment.

"Well, everybody's got some role to play," Lily pointed out. Mr. Sauer grunted in assent. Mrs. Sauers got up to clean up, and Lily got up to help her. They were gone before Al could join, and by then Mr. Sauers had turned back to his newspaper, so Al was left with nothing to do but twiddle his thumbs.

Minutes later, Lily reappeared. "Hey Al, come help me muck the stalls," she instructed.

"Uh, sure," Al replied, glad for the opportunity to help.

They went out into the barn, grabbed some pitchforks, and after leading Sue out of her stall, began to clean it out. Most people would not supposed barn-mucking to be a lot of fun, and they're probably right. Still, Al tried to make it as fun as he could by goofing off here and there. The only time Lily seemed to have a problem with it was when he accidentally hurled a load, and it splattered on the wall behind her. Her anger was short-lived, however, as he was soon able to get her laughing again.

Once the task was done, they took the opportunity to walk around the property a little bit, and spend some time together, just the two of them. Once they were far enough away from the house, Al lit a cigarette; he'd been hankering for one since he arrived, but Mr. Sauers did not approve of smoking of any kind, no matter how harmless it was.

"Couldn't last more than a day, could you?" Lily teased.

"If you think I'm bad, just wait 'til you meet Francis. I don't think he can last an hour without a cig."

They eventually stopped at the fence of a neighboring farm, and stood watching the cows for a little bit, as the animals huddled together on the other side of the pasture.

"Do you ever wonder about the future?" Lily asked out of the blue.

Al nearly choked. "Uh, sure, time to time," he lied after regaining his composure. He didn't really have the luxury of pondering his future; it kind of was decided for him.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't mean any time soon, but sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't like to settle down after a while. You know, get married, have kids, live like an adult," she admitted.

"Sounds nice," Al said weakly. Each word felt like a punch in the gut. He knew deep down that those were things he could never give her, no matter how much she may want them.

"Who knows? Maybe you and me some day," she mused. "But definitely not today." She leaned in and pecked him on the lips.

Al drew on his cigarette, and looked out at the pasture with an unsettled look on his face. Lily pulled back and began to look concerned.

"Al, is everything-"

"Do you want to come with me to Amsterdam?!" he blurted out.

"What?" she asked confusedly, taken aback by his abruptness.

"Do you want to come with me to the meeting in Amsterdam?" he asked again.

"Well, I don't know what to say, Al, it's all so sudden," she said, looking a little lost. "I mean, are you sure it's okay? People might talk."

"So let them talk! You've always wanted to go abroad, so let's go abroad!" he declared.

She still didn't look convinced. "Al, I want to, but I don't want to cause any problems. Plus you've got work to do, and you'll be all sorts of busy..."

"Look, Lily, I promise there won't be any funny business. Separate rooms, on the boat and in the city. I'll pay for all of it, so you don't have to worry about that either. And as for me being to busy, the busy part is before the meeting. My evenings are completely open, not to mention lunch breaks and the occasional break day. Plus, me not being around time to time will give you a little time to explore on your own. This is something you've always wanted to do, right?" She nodded. "So let's do it!"

She pursed her lips for a moment. "Okay."

"Okay?"

She began to smile. "Okay, I'll go!"

Al grinned his signature, huge grin. He picked her up and spun her around. "We're going to Amsterdam!"

"We're going to Amsterdam!" she echoed in excitement.

He set her down, and kissed her. They pulled apart, smiled at one another, and continued their walk, hand in hand.

The rest of the day was spent helping around the house, eating, and getting to know Lily's parents a little better. After the political discussion, Mr. Sauers had decided that he like Al very much, and insisted on picking his brain on a wide variety of issues, while Mrs. Sauers brought them plate after plate of cookies. Al was having the time of his life; he had never felt so at home anywhere in his entire life.

Dinner was a delightful; Mrs. Sauers had gone all out and had made roast ham with sides of mash potatoes, cranberry sauce, and beans. They ate and conversed until everyone was in a food coma, and then they changed into their nicer clothes and went to church.

Al hadn't gone to church in ages, but fortunately for him, it didn't take long to remember the process. It was a quaint little Lutheran church in town, and before the service had begun, Al caught a few people glancing at him curiously as they filed into their pew.

Now the pastor was giving his sermon, and Al couldn't help but marvel at how pretty Lily looked. She was wearing her very best hat, and her curls were pinned up just right beneath it. She caught him looking, and blushed a bit. He smiled, and focused back onto the sermon.

At the end of the sermon, the Sauers and Al stayed for a little bit to converse with the other members of the parish, and to wish them all a "Merry Christmas." Al was introduced to many different people, but for the most part just stood awkwardly to the side as Lily and her family chatted with the other members of the congregation.

Finally, they went home, and sat around the fire until it was finally time for bed. Lily and Al went up at the same time, and once they were sure Lily's parents were still downstairs, they kissed goodnight outside her door.

After a while, Lily gently pulled away. "Goodnight, Al, sleep tight," she whispered.

"Goodnight," he replied, as she disappeared into her bedroom.

He flopped into his bed, and couldn't help but feel like a little kid, waiting for Santa Claus. However, unlike most little kids that night, his gift wasn't due for several months to come. Still, as he drifted off to sleep, he said a little prayer thanking God for the opportunity to finally have the family Christmas he had dreamed of since he was a little kid. Unlike the thousands of little 'uns too excited to sleep, Al promptly slipped into unconsciousness, and snored well through the night.


	13. Chapter 13

Al woke up feeling a bit groggy and disoriented. However, after a few minutes of trying to figure out who and where he was, his eyes flew open at a realization.

"It's Christmas!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of bed. He threw on his clothes, brushed his teeth briskly, and bounded down the stairs.

He strode into the kitchen where Mrs. Sauers was cooking breakfast. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Sauers!" he greeted.

"Merry Christmas, Al! You sleep well?" she asked politely.

"Very well. Can I help you at all?" he inquired.

"Well, I could use a little, I suppose. Lily's not down yet, and Scott's buried in his newspaper already," she admitted. "Would you mind cutting up some of those potatoes?"

"Not in the slightest." Al quickly got to work, and by the time Lily walked into the kitchen, he and Mrs. Sauers were almost completely done with breakfast.

In no time at all, breakfast was served on the dining room table, and the whole family was sitting together, chatting merrily and reminiscing about other past Christmases. Lily seemed to blush a deeper shade of pink every time her childhood Christmas shenanigans came up. Al found it all very beautiful, however, as he had never been able to experience that beloved childhood Christmas; his were mostly him alone in a big empty house, opening maybe one box that Arthur had left behind for the holiday.

Finally it came time to open presents, and Al was so excited he could hardly sit still. He couldn't wait for everyone to open the presents he had got them, as he had tried very hard this year with his gift giving.

"Someone's a live wire this morning," Lily observed.

"Aw, I can't help it. I just love Christmas so much!" he defended.

Al made Mr. and Mrs. Sauers open his gifts first, which were a high quality razor for Mr. Sauers, and some very nice fabric for Mrs. Sauers. They seemed very surprised at the quality of his gifts; one usually doesn't expect a bachelor to be able to afford such things. Lily then made Al open his gift, which was a lovely new hat to replace his own old tattered one. He pecked her on the cheek as a thank you, which made her turn bright pink.

Lily got her parents a few records for their record player, which was currently playing Christmas carols. Her parents got her some stationary, with a note saying that now she'll be able to write them time to time, what with the paper shortage in New York and all. She gave her father a look, and her mother ducked under the tree to get her real present, which was a tin of chocolate bark.

Finally it came time for Al to give Lily her present. He handed her a small box, which despite his best efforts, was a bit poorly wrapped. She carefully tore it open, and gently lifted the lid to reveal a gorgeous necklace.

"Oh Al! This is beautiful! You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," she exclaimed, as she held it up. "Especially with the Amsterdam trip already!"

"Amsterdam trip?" Mr. Sauers interjected.

"I asked Lily to come with me on a business trip to Amsterdam," Al quickly explained. "They let me bring an extra person, and I know she's always wanted to travel, so I figured I'd bring her. It'll be separate rooms and everything, and I'm happy to pay for it."

Mr. Sauers glanced nervously at Mrs. Sauers. "Are you sure this is okay? How can you afford all of it?"

"Well, my travel costs are paid for, and I have plenty of savings to pay for Lily. I promise it's completely safe," Al assured.

"I'm still not sure about this," Mrs. Sauers admitted.

"Mom, what's there to worry about? You trust Al, don't you?" Lily chipped in.

"It's not that we don't trust Al, sweetheart," Mrs. Sauers rebutted. "We're just... hesitant. You're still so young, you guys haven't been together for very long, and after you're brother, well, we're scared to see you leave." Mrs. Sauers eyes began to tear up, and Mr. Sauers began to pat her back soothingly.

"Mrs. Sauers, I promise you that nothing will happen to Lily as long as I'm here," Al stated sincerely. Mrs. Sauers looked up in surprise. "Since the day I met her I knew this was something she wanted, and that it was something I wanted to help give her. I promise I won't let any harm come to her."

Mrs. Sauers nodded, and Lily took Al's hand in hers, and squeezed it softly.

"How about some hot cocoa?" Lily suggested, as she got up to get it ready.

The tensions of that morning quickly dissipated in favor of Christmas joy. Beautiful music oozed from the record player as the family chatted and shared stories. Sweets and eggnog were in constant supply, and dinner was an amazing creation of Mrs. Sauers', who seemed to be outdoing herself each night. This time it was a roast goose, in a delicious sauce and plenty of vegetables and sides. Everyone was so full afterwards no one seemed to be awake enough to converse, but they enjoyed the peaceful silence.

Mrs. Sauers and Lily ended up turning in early, and after a final "Merry Christmas" and goodnight, they disappeared upstairs, leaving Mr. Sauers and Al by themselves.

Mr. Sauers intently watched them go upstairs, and once he was sure they were gone, he got up, and disappeared into the dining room. Al watched him leave in puzzlement, until he returned with a bottle of rum.

"I've been rationing this since the Prohibition started, but since it's Christmas and all..." he winked. "Just don't tell Mrs. Sauers." He began to splash a little bit into their cups of eggnog, and sat down in his armchair. They both watched the embers of the fire die down in the fireplace, and sipped their eggnog.

"Al, what's your family like?" Mr. Sauers asked randomly.

 _Jeez, these personal questions are getting harder each time_ , Al thought. "Well, it's kind of complicated. I have three brothers, but never really knew my parents. The eldest is my half brother, Francis, who lives in France, and is in fact, a native Frenchman. The second eldest is my other half brother Arthur, who's British, and isn't related to Francis. Then there's my twin brother Mattie, whose Canadian. I'm American, and have lived in America my whole life, so I've never really been able to spend tons of time together with them. Arthur looked after me mostly, and Francis took care of Mattie. Until recently I really didn't really have the chance to get to know them very well," Al explained.

"That must have been tough on you," Mr. Sauers noted.

"It wasn't the best, but I got through it."

"Hmm," Mr. Sauers assented. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-seven." That was the answer he gave Lily, so it was well rehearsed. \

"I guess work must keep you from settling down," Mr. Sauers noted. "I was that old when Lily was born."

"It does a bit," Al lied. Something much different was in truth preventing that vocation. "But I'm steadily getting more control of my schedule. That's why I'm able to take Lily with me this year, for example."

Mr. Sauers remained silent for a bit, staring moodily into the fire. Finally, he spoke up. "I don't mean to say I don't trust you, Al; I think you're a fine young man. But if I didn't say this, I don't think I'd be doing my duty as a father."

He paused, and Al waited in tense anticipation.

"If I hear of any funny business, you and I will be having words," he said darkly.

"Of course, sir. I understand," Al replied hastily.

"Good. Not that I think I will hear of any such thing, but it needed to be said."

"Of course."

Al and Mr. Sauers sipped at their eggnog until the fire finally died down enough, and then they both headed up to bed.

The next day was a blur, as Lily and Al began to pack their stuff for departure early the next morning. Al wished this visit would never end; he felt incredibly at home with Lily's family, but their work was calling them back to the city.

Finally the time came for them to leave. Mrs. Sauers hugged Al and kissed him on the cheek, and Mr. Sauers gave him a strong handshake, and asked him to write if he hears any interesting political topics. Lily said goodbye to her parents as well, and soon they were pulling out of their driveway, as Mr. and Mrs. Sauers waved goodbye.

Their time of rest was over as soon as they got back to the city. The preparations for their trip seemed endless, especially for Al. The amount of busy work and preparation for the meeting was always surmountable, but he tried the best he could to make time for Lily. Still, their dating time decreased significantly.

She didn't mind too much, though, as she had plenty of work of her own. She worked several extra shifts to try to earn a little bit of spending money for the trip, as she didn't want to be completely dependent on Al for everything.

The craziness made the months fly by, however, and March came in seemingly no time at all. Passports were acquired, bags were packed, tickets were purchased, and reservations made. Al could hardly believe it was happening, but then again, he just couldn't wait.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry for my little hiatus, spring's been super busy. But now I'm back on track, and ready to go! Hope you enjoy the chapter, and as always, let me know what you think!**

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Lily felt nervous as they boarded the boat. She had never ridden a boat before, let alone one that was crossing all the way to Europe. She kept glancing nervously back at Al, who was waiting behind her in the boarding line, carrying their luggage. He smiled back reassuringly, and Lily felt a little bit easier, if only for a while.

Finally, after she had done it a fifth time, Al gripped her shoulders gently, and turned her to face him.

"You don't have to worry," he consoled. "I've ridden ships for most of my life, and nothing has ever happened. I promise you they're safe."

"I know, but I keep thinking about the Titanic, and the Lusitania, and I just get all worried again!" she said with exasperation.

Al chuckled, and she shot him an irritated glare. "We're not going to be anywhere by any icebergs, and last time I checked, the Great War's over. We'll be fine. Plus, just think about it; in a couple of days we'll be in Amsterdam! You'll be in Europe for the first time! Aren't you a bit excited?!"

Lily began to grin. "I suppose you're right."

"Just think of it," he began to say, as the line began to move and they began to board, "Walks by the canals, late night dinners at restaurants, shopping..."

Lily turned around, and pecked him quickly on the cheek. "I love you, Al."

Al blinked in slight surprise. "Love you too, doll."

After about 10 minutes of shuffling, they were on the boat and settled in their rooms. Al had managed to procure them some decently nice, separate rooms right next to each other. Although somewhat small, they were not horribly cramped, and the bed was comfy, much to Lily's surprise. Once they got their bags situated, Al and Lily took the time to explore the ship a bit.

The dining hall was large, and Lily looked curiously at all the laid tables and overhanging lights. Al managed to coax her to join him on the deck, and they watched the dock get smaller and smaller as the ship pulled away from it. There were a couple games of horseshoes set up on the deck, and believe it or not, skeet shooting. They stayed above deck until Lily had decided she'd had enough of staring at the expansive sea and the wind buffeting her hair, so they returned below deck.

The days on the boat passed slowly for Lily. Al had a lot of last minute paperwork to do before they arrived, so the hours he was available were limited. Lily spent a lot of time reading in her cabin, or at least attempting to, with the rocking of the boat. Still, it wasn't completely unenjoyable, she had some lovely conversations with other travelers, and perfected her horseshoe skills, so not all time was wasted. Plus, the dullness of the travel made the prospects of the trip all the more exciting.

It wasn't until the last day that Al was available for most of the day. That made the time fly, as when they weren't playing games above deck or wandering about the ship, they were joking around with one another, enjoying the comfort they had with one another.

If not for the thrilling anticipation of fulfilling one of her dreams, Lily thought, as they were about to disembark the ship, she would be sad for their time aboard the ship to end. However, this was not the case, as now she continuously glanced back at Al, who was once again carrying their luggage as they waited in line, with a look of absolute excitement.

Slowly but surely, people began to depart from the ship, until finally Lily was able to take her first steps upon non-American soil. She beamed up at Al, who grinned at her excitement.

They hailed a cab from the dock to the hotel, checked in, and got the bags situated. Once again it was separate rooms, but right next to each other. There even was an adjoining door in between them, should Lily or Al need something from the other in the night, and not want to disrupt the other hotel guests by banging on the door from the hallway.

Lily had not slept terribly well onboard the ship due to the constant swaying, so Al left to check into the meeting while she took a nap. The venue where they were holding the meeting was just a couple blocks down the street, so he walked there, enjoying the crisp, fresh air.

Al admired the rectangular buildings lining the canals and sidewalks, well painted with beautiful adornments. The wintry landscape almost made the buildings look brighter, as their colors pierced the whiteness surrounding them.

Finally he came across the location of their meeting. It wasn't anything fancy; just a slightly larger house than the ones surrounding it, but otherwise exactly the same. They tended to try to pick innocuous locations for their meetings, since their existence is considered a secret. Still, Al felt like Ned had managed to pick a pretty nice spot.

He let himself in, and was greeted by a woman sitting at a desk in what would've been the foyer.

"Hallo. Hoe kan ik je helpen?" she asked.

"Alfred F. Jones, Hier voor de...vergadering deze week," he responded in shaky Dutch.

"Registry is down the hall on your right," she pointed, switching to English.

"Thanks." Al went down the hall.

The hallway opened up to a nice, well-furnished living room, where a little table had been set up with a notebook and a pen for signing in and picking up the itinerary. Al scanned the room for other people, to happen upon none other than Mattie, who was signing his name in the book.

"Mattie! Chance upon finding you here! How've you been!" he exclaimed.

Matthew jumped a little, and looked up and smiled wearily at Al. "Oh, I've been fine I suppose," he replied. "You know how much I hate ships, and this trip was a rough one, to say the least. Never mind that though, how are you?"

"Oh I'm great!" Al answered enthusiastically. "I can't wait for this meeting, and I'm excited to see the gang again! Feels like forever!"

"Yeah. Speaking of which, I know you were planning on bringing someone this time, so who did you end up bringing?" Matthew asked, secretly hoping it was Henry.

"I actually ended up bringing Lily!" Al responded excitedly.

"What?" Matthew asked in shock.

"Lily's always wanted to go to Europe, so I figured, why not bring her along! Bringing one of the states might've caused some trouble too, so I figured this was the best of both worlds!" Al continued, not noticing Matthew's horror.

 _Oh no, Al, you didn't_ , Matthew thought to himself. "Al, do you think it might-"

"Bonjour! Oh America, how long 'as it been?" Matthew was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Francis, who swooped in and engulfed both the boys in a tight hug. "And Canada, it 'as certainly been too long. I 'ope Angleterre 'as been looking after you well?"

"Oh yes, I've been fine," Matthew replied, ignoring the fact that he hadn't seen Arthur since Thanksgiving at Al's place.

"So what's this I 'ear of an extra guest amongst the fold?" Francis questioned Al.

"Ah, well," Al hesitated, scratching the back of his neck. "I brought my, er, girlfriend, Lily, along."

Francis squealed in excitement. "My petite Amérique 'as a girlfriend?! Oh, they grow up so fast!"

"Uh, thanks," Al mumbled, not knowing how to respond.

"You must let me meet her sometime, I'm very curious as to 'ow you of all people managed to find a girlfriend," he teased, with a wink.

"I'll ask her, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind. I'll arrange something," Al responded, with a little more confidence. "Well, I better be getting back, but I'll see you guys around!"

Matthew watched Al leave, and once he heard the door slam shut, he turned to Francis. "Do you really think it's okay that he's dating a girl? A human girl?"

"In truth, non, but my dear Canada, there is simply no convincing a bull-'eaded fool like your brother otherwise, especially when there is a woman involved. Men are fools when they are in love," Francis noted, causing Matthew to stare glumly at his shoes. "What would be the point?"

Matthew stared at the itinerary as Francis signed his name. "Tu as raison. Je tiens encore, que vous n'étiez pas," Matthew sighed.

"Moi aussi, Matthieu, moi aussi," Francis agreed. Together they left the building, distracting themselves with other topics, but their conversation still weighing heavily on their minds.

* * *

 **Translations:**

 **Hallo. Hoe kan ik je helpen?: Hello, how can I help you?**

 **Hier voor de...vergadering deze week: Here for the meeting this week.**

 **Tu as raison. Je tiens encore, que vous n'étiez pas: You are right. And yet, I wish you weren't.**

 **Moi aussi: Me too.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! So sorry for the long hiatus, but now I'm back and ready to get chugging! As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and criticism and suggestions are always welcome!**

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Al made his way back through the snowy streets, and back to the hotel. He went into his room, took his coat off, threw it haphazardly onto his bed, and stared at the door that adjoined their rooms. He slipped off his shoes, walked over to the door, and quietly opened it.

He could see Lily's form still bundled under the covers, sleeping soundly. In a moment of surprising restraint for his character, he crept up to the bed, and gently sat down besides her, tenderly stroking her hair as she woke up.

Her eyes gradually opened, and she smiled and yawned. "You're back," she mumbled sleepily.

"Yup. Do you want to go back to bed, or get dinner?" Al asked.

Lily thought for a moment. "I'm not really hungry now, maybe later?" she suggested.

"Sure," Al agreed. "I'll let you go back to bed, then." He began to get up to go back to his room, but Lily rolled over slightly and grabbed his wrist. She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Could you...stay with me?" she asked shyly.

Al sat back down on the bed, and laid down besides her, gently pulling her into his arms. They laid there for a while, half asleep and comfortable, until they heard a knock at the door.

Lily started; although entirely innocent, what they were doing was not considered by most to be proper, and she immediately began to worry. Al calmly got off the bed, and made his way to the door, where he peered through the peep hole to see who it was.

"Oh hey, it's Francis!" he announced.

"Your brother?!" Lily wondered aloud. "What should we do?"

"It's Francis, he's not going to judge. If it was Arthur, I'd tell you to start making your way out the window, but Francis isn't going to make a fuss. You okay if I answer it?" Al asked.

Lily pursed her lips. "Alright, so long as you think it's okay."

Al opened the door, just as Francis was about to knock again. "Bonjour, Amérique, je me demandais si..." he began, before spotting Lily sitting on the bed, nervously clutching her hands. "Oh Alfred, I did not realize you 'ad a guest. 'ello, Lily, is it?"

Lily stood up, and joined them at the door. "And you must be Francis. It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

"The pleasure is all mine. Well, Alfred, I came to ask whether or not you and Lily would like to join me for dinner? I 'appen to know a very nice place just down the block," he offered.

"I'm fine with it," Al replied. "You okay with it?" he asked Lily.

"Sounds lovely," Lily assented.

"Good, then it is settled. Would you like to meet outside the 'otel at..." Francis peered at his watch. "Six?"

"Perfect. See you then, Francis!" Al called after him, as he left. Al softly closed the door, and joined Lily, who had seated herself on the bed.

"He said six, right?" she asked, as she squinted at the clock. "It's four forty-five right now. Should I start getting ready?"

"Nah," Al dismissed, laying back and stretching out on the bed. "We've got time."

Lily mulled over her options, and finally decided to join Al. "Alright, but no more than ten minutes."

They dozed for twenty minutes, before Lily realized that time had gotten away from her. She frantically jumped out of bed to start getting ready, leaving Al sleepy and confused on the bed, his hair all mussed.

"Al, it's five thirty. You need to start getting ready for dinner," she said as she walked out of the bathroom, putting in her earrings. Al groaned, and rolled over in bed, further nestling into the covers.

"I didn't want to do this, but you've left me no choice," Lily stated, as she walked over to the bed, grabbed the sheets, and yanked them off the bed. Al yelped as the cold air hit him, and he curled up into fetal position, giving her a dirty look. "Up and at 'em," she barked, once again disappearing into the bathroom with her makeup bag.

Left with no more options, Al slid out of bed, and made his way back to his room. He put on a nicer suit, combed his hair, straightened his tie, and grabbed his nice shoes, coat, and new hat before making his way back into Lily's room, where she was still frantically bustling around to get dolled up in time.

Al was sitting on the bed waiting, occasionally glancing at his watch as it ticked closer and closer to six, when Lily finally reappeared from the bathroom. Al helped her into her coat, she grabbed her hat, and they left the room, and made their way down to the front of the hotel.

"Where the hell is he?!" Lily demanded, as she stood shivering in the cold.

Al glanced at his watch. It was six ten, and still no sign of Francis. "He tends to be late to most things, I'm afraid."

"Great," Lily remarked bitterly as she wrapped her arms around her. "We could've waited an extra ten minutes, or he could've met us in the lobby, but no, instead we'll freeze out here."

"Oh come on, it's not that bad," Al consoled. "Isn't it pretty out here?" Lily knew he had a point there. Everything was pretty picturesque with the snow lightly coating everything with a crystalline white gleam, from the houses to the boats in the canal. Still, she'd enjoy the scenery much more if it wasn't so freezing.

"Bonjour!" a voice rang out behind them. Francis was making his way towards them, his hair pulled back and beneath his hat, and his suit hidden behind a big, cozy black coat. "I'm so sorry I am late; I got caught up with something," he apologized as he came up to Al and pecked him on each side of his cheek. "I'm so glad you agreed to join me for dinner!" he exclaimed, turning to Lily, and pecking her cheeks as well. "I know the nicest place just down the street, you guys will love it!" he chattered, as he began making his way down the street, beckoning them to follow him.

"I don't care what it is, just so long as it's warm," she whispered in Al's ear, as she linked her arm in Al's. Al suppressed a chuckle, and they followed Francis, not really paying attention as he chattered excitedly.

Francis finally slowed as they reached turned a corner into a square. He scanned the store fronts, and began striding towards the row on the left, having located the place. Al saw a sign in front marking the building as a restaurant. The stone was worn, and the wood paneling and trim was in desperate need of staining, but overall it seemed very cozy. Francis opened the door, and Lily and Al filed inside.

Lily let out a soft sigh as they entered the warm venue. A fire was crackling in a fireplace in the corner, heating up the whole dining room. It wasn't very busy; there were a couple patrons scattered here and there, although thankfully none that Al recognized from the conference. A man strode over to the host's table, and asked them something in Dutch. Francis stared at Al pointedly until he got the point.

"Tabel voor drie, alstublieft," Al asked in Dutch, remembering he was the only one who spoke the language.

The host ducked under the table to grab menus. "Recht op deze manier," he said, and Al gestured for them to follow him. They were seated, much to Lily's delight, right by the fireplace.

Al gazed at all the quaint little paintings, until a nudge from Lily brought him back to earth. "I'm going to need a little help here," she remarked, gesturing to the menu.

"Oh, right," Al replied, opening his and getting ready to translate. He glanced up at Francis too see if he needed any assistance, but he seemed okay reading it himself. Al refocused his attention on Lily, and began translating and describing the dishes.

The evening flew by, and the meal and company turned out to be delightful. Lily had forgotten all about her frustration at Francis' tardiness, and was joining the conversation full heartedly. Francis asked Lily about her background, but unlike Arthur, he asked questions with polite curiosity, rather than intense interest and scrutiny. Al was relieved that it was going over well with Francis at the very least, but still, something in Francis' expression perturbed him slightly. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes and smile that confused Al ever so slightly. He ended up attributing it to post war stress, but was not exactly convinced by that explanation.

Al managed to snag the check before Francis, and after he payed they went outside to say goodnight.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," Francis said shook hands with Al and kissed Lily on the cheek.

"Oh no, thank you for inviting us! It was a great time, wasn't it Lily?" Al replied.

"Wonderful! It was great to get to know you!" Lily added.

"I better 'ead back to my 'otel for bed," Francis remarked. "Bonne nuit!" "Bonne nuit!" Al called after him.

Lily slid her gloved hand in Al's, and they strode off down the street. They agreed to take the longer, but more scenic route by the canals to their hotel. The light emanating from windows and street lamps reflected and sparkled in the glazed-over canals, and boats and buildings were lightly coated in white, almost adding a sort of lighter color to the night. Lily snuggled in close to Al, enjoying his warmth in the cold, nippy air. All was quiet and peaceful, and the pair were almost sad by the time their hotel came into view.

Al kissed Lily goodnight outside their hotel rooms, and then went in his, sighing in relief as he removed his tie and took off his suit in favor of flannel pajamas. Still, despite his exhaustion and desire for sleep, he could seem to turn off his mind. His conversation with Will around Christmas seemed to be on repeat, and he was slightly worried for the week to come. The first day of meetings was tomorrow, and couldn't help but feel bad for leaving Lily alone all day in a foreign country. Additionally, who knew how the other nations would react to him bringing a human girl along, Arthur especially. His only choice was to have faith that things would work themselves out, but still, it wasn't until well into the night that he was able to pacify himself and finally get some sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey all! Sorry this one is so long, but I hope you enjoy it! As always, feel free to let me know what you think!**

* * *

It was an early morning for Al and Lily. Al had to leave for his meeting by eight, and they had agreed to meet at breakfast by seven, so they could at least have an hour to chat and solidify the day's plans before he had to go.

Al beat Lily to the small dining room in their hotel by fifteen minutes, which he spent reviewing some documents last minute over a cup of coffee. Still, he kept glancing at the doorway, waiting for Lily to show up.

Finally he saw her slight figure slip into the room, wearing a pretty dress and a sweater. Al stood up and pulled her chair out for her, and she sat down.

"So, how'd you sleep?" he asked, as a hotel employee came over and filled Lily's cup.

"Wonderfully. Wasn't cold at all, there were plenty of blankets," Lily replied. "You?"

"Fine," Al lied. "You want to get breakfast?"

"Sure."

They got up, grabbed their plates, and made their way to the buffet table, which was filled with various slices of bread, cheeses, cold meat, and jams. Al filled his plate with ease, every once in a while stopping to help translate something for Lily, or recommend a certain jam or cheese.

They sat back down at their table, and dug in, pausing every once in a while to chat or sip their coffee.

"So," Al started. "We'll probably get a nice long lunch break today considering it's the first day, so I should be able to do lunch at twelve."

"Perfect," Lily responded.

"You have any plans while I'm gone?" Al asked out of curiosity.

Lily set her coffee down. "Not really. I'm thinking of just exploring the city a bit and seeing where the afternoon takes me."

"Sounds nice, but stay safe, alright?" Al requested.

"Al, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," Lily retorted.

"I know, I know, but if you get in any trouble and need me, you know where the meeting is right?" Lily nodded her head. "You can go in and ask the front desk for me, and I'll be there. And you've got the number of the place, so don't be afraid to call that too, understand?"

"Al, we've been over this. I'll be fine! Don't worry!" Lily exclaimed.

"Alright, alright. I'll try not to," Al ceded. Lily smiled at him, and then glanced at her watch. "Al, it's eight o' five. Shouldn't you be going?"

"Crap!" Al swore, jumping up from his chair and snatching up his suitcase. "I'll catch you later, sweetheart." He kissed her on the cheek, and bounded out of the room, Lily chuckling as he left.

Canada was sandwiched between England and France at the meeting table, because once again they had forgotten to add him to the list of attendees. At this point, he wondered why he didn't just bring a chair with him to everyone of these meetings; they never remembered to get him one anyways. He sulked on a rickety old chair as France and England bickered on either side of him, probably not even noticing that he was there.

To make matters worse, America was a hot topic for gossip in the conference room. Canada had overheard at least three different groups whispering about his new beau. It made Canada disgusted and frustrated how they derived such pleasure from America's fool's errand, and how easily they judged and criticized him. Suffice to say, it was not going to be a nice morning for Canada.

Finally, two minutes before the meeting was slated to begin, America busted through the doors, a little out of breath. He scanned the cards on the table, and beamed when he saw his next to England, and began to make his way towards them.

England started to get out of his chair. "Dammit, this time he's gone too far," he muttered. "What does he think he's doing, bringing her with him to Amsterdam!"

"England, don't," Canada warned, grabbing his arm. "What's done is done, you're only going to cause more trouble."

England looked at Canada, and then at France, who was watching the ordeal with raised eyebrows. England sighed, and flopped back down into his chair, exasperated. Al had just reached them, and unknowingly beamed at them and greeted them, before sitting down to begin the meeting.

Al always dreaded the first meeting day, as they usually were the most boring. The host would drone on about the agenda and concerns drafted for this particular meeting; all of which every single person in attendance had already looked over probably twenty times in preparation. It was always a boring state of affairs, but Netherlands' indifferent, droning voice made it even harder for Al to pay attention. He spent the first half of the day desperately trying to concentrate, while twiddling his pen incessantly, causing him to receive some irritated glares from Arthur.

Al could hardly believe that it was only lunchtime by the time they got out. He stretched and yawned in his chair as he got up, and made his way out of the room, leaving Francis, Arthur, and Canada alone at the table.

"Am I the only one that sees the problem, here?" Arthur snapped as soon as Al was out of earshot.

"Of course not, Angleterre," Francis rebuked. "'owever, you seem to be the only one unable to grasp the concept that shouting at 'im will not fix things."

"Are you calling me a fool?" Arthur exclaimed furiously.

"Non, I am calling you stubborn," Francis retorted. "I know you are worried, but there is nothing you can do, so stop trying to beat some sense into 'im. If that was a reliable tactic, 'e'd be the smartest man alive."

Arthur put his face in his hands. "Then what can we do? I can't just sit idly by and watch! We've got to do something!"

Francis seemed to pause and think for a moment. "I cannot make any promises, but I will see what I can do." He glanced at his watch. "Anyways, it is time for lunch. Should we be off?"

Arthur grunted in assent, and they left the room, not noticing the quiet, lonely figure sitting in between their seats watching them as they walked away.

 _And there they go_ , Matthew thought to himself. _Guess I'm on my own again_. Resigned, he pulled out a slightly squished paper bag, and began to eat a sandwich alone in the conference room.

Al scanned the street outside until he caught sight of a frantically waving Lily, and made his way towards her.

"Hey doll," he greeted, as he kissed her on the cheek. "How was your day?"

"Fantastic! I visited a couple churches and stumbled upon a museum!" Lily relayed happily. "How's your's so far?"

"Boring, but better now. Ready for lunch?" he asked.

"Sure! Where do you want to go?"

Al was just about to respond when a voice called his name from across the street. Al turned to see Belgium and the Netherlands standing in the doorway, Belgium frantically waving at Al.

"Hey Al! Would you and Lily like to come with us to lunch?" Belgium asked.

"You okay with it?" Al asked Lily, and she nodded. "Sure! Thanks for the invitation, Laura!" Al thanked Belgium, and he lead Lily over to them.

"Lily, this is Ned and Laura. Ned's the meeting host this year, so he knows the area really well. Laura's his sister, but she's also the Belgian representative," Al explained.

"Oh, it's so great to meet you!" Laura exclaimed excitedly. "Isn't it, Ned?" Ned merely grunted in response.

"We know an amazing place just down the street here," Laura explained as she lead them down the street. "Real cozy little place, and it has amazing sandwiches. Right Ned?"

Ned grunted in response once again. In fact, he didn't speak a word for almost the entire walk there, and probably wouldn't have if Laura hadn't started heading the wrong way.

"Where are you going?" he stopped her.

"Where do you think?" she retorted.

"That's the wrong street. We've still got a block to go," he argued.

Laura looked up at the street marker. "I'm quite certain this is it," she insisted.

"Oh, of course," Ned snarked. "It's not as if I live here."

The two began to argue in Dutch, and finally Laura threw up her hands in defeat, and they began following Ned. Laura glanced back and winked at Al as Ned took the lead, leading Al to wonder what she was playing at.

It turned out Ned was right, as they arrived at the quaint little venue in no time at all. He held the door as Laura led Al and Lily inside.

Laura flagged a hostess, and they were all seated quickly underneath a nice painting of a tulip field. A waiter showed up and set glasses on their table, and sped off.

"So, Lily, how are you enjoying your time in Amsterdam?" Laura asked politely.

"It's great! It's such a lovely place, I can hardly believe it!" Lily answered. "It must be amazing to live here.

Ned grunted, but Laura narrowed her eyes and kicked his shin underneath the table.

"It is quite nice," Ned asserted, shooting Laura a dirty look. "I hear New York has become very vibrant as well, but I have not been able to visit America in a long time," he continued, making small talk.

"Well, I don't mean to brag, but it's definitely become quite a place to visit," Al laughed. "I'd be happy to host you anytime you feel like it."

"A trip couldn't hurt, could it, Ned? Plus, you'd get to see...Henry again," Laura added, pausing to remember York's human name.

Ned said something in Dutch to Laura, and Laura must not have liked it, because they began to argue in rapid fire Dutch once again.

Lily leaned in and nudged Al gently to get his attention. "Is it just me, or does Ned kind of look like Henry?"

Al sweated a little bit. He knew the answer, but he also knew there was no way he could explain that to her. "Er, well, Henry's ancestors were Dutch, and we found out a little bit ago that his family came from the same village that Ned's from. They're probably distantly related; everyone there has the same sort of eyes and face profile. You see that in a lot of the more isolated areas in Europe."

"Oh, wow, small world," Lily mused.

"So, anything catch your eye on the menu?" Laura asked, turning back to Al and Lily

Al paged through it. "I don't know, it all looks so good it's hard to pick. You guys have any recommendations?"

Laura stared pointedly at Ned, and from his slight flinch, Al surmised that Laura had kicked him from underneath the table again.

"The tosti here is good, and I also like their broodje kroket," he listed.

Al explained what those were to Lily, with Laura adding here and there, and by the time the waiter reappeared, they were ready to order.

The rest of the meal went the same way; Laura would ask Lily politely about herself, and occasionally kick Ned to make him contribute to the conversation. The food was as delicious as they had promised, and Ned's recommendations turned out to be top notch. Any discussion of the meeting was discreetly avoided due to Lily's presence, but Al couldn't help but wonder if they weren't all a little glad to have the excuse not to talk about it.

Al managed to snag the bill, although admittedly Ned seemed to protest less than most. They decided not to walk back to the meeting house together, as Laura had recommended that Lily check out a nearby neighborhood, and Al wanted to make sure she knew the way there. They all waved goodbye outside the restaurant, and headed off in separate directions.

"Well, that sure was fun!" Laura mused to Ned.

Ned grunted in response.

"Though he didn't ask me how I was doing once!" Laura complained. "I know she was there, but still, he could've worked around that."

"I'm sure there's plenty already he needs to work around. Now pick up the pace, I don't want to be late," Ned remarked, lengthening his stride. Laura let out an exasperated sigh, and followed him.

Al was wrong, the only thing more boring than the morning of the first meeting day was the afternoon of the first meeting day. Maybe it was the tantalizing prospect of getting out, or maybe it was the fact that Lily was out enjoying the best that Amsterdam had to offer, but the meeting seemed to drag on forever for Al. He found himself wishing he was more like Matthew, who was able to get up for a stretch break three times without anyone but Al noticing. Even when it was his turn to present, Al found himself glancing out the window, and watching the crowds drift by.

He glanced at his watch. _Fifteen minutes left, thank God_ , he thought to himself.

 _Fifteen whole minutes_! Lily thought to herself as she glanced at her watch. She was waiting outside the meeting house, shivering in the cold. She had tried to get here early enough that she wouldn't make Al wait, but it seemed she mis-timed it.

She stared determinedly at the door as she shivered in the cold, almost trying to will Al to hurry up and get out here. She had just begun to zone out when it swung open, causing her to perk up.

Instead of Al, two men, presumably brothers, exited, arguing with one another in rapid fire Italian. They walked down the front steps rapidly speaking back and forth, until one looked up, saw Lily, and put a hand on his brother's shoulder, stopping him.

"Ciao, Bella! Ti sei perso?" he called out to her. "Saremmo felici di aiutare una bella ragazza come te!"

Lily looked at him uncomprehendingly.

"Aspetta, come si dice in olandese?" the one muttered to the other.

"Uh, hmm...Fanculo, maybe she knows English. You lost, bella?" he tried again.

"No, I'm waiting for someone," she called back.

"Oh, so that's why a pretty girl's out shivering in the cold, waiting for her boss. Well, bella, if you'd rather go somewhere warm with us, I'd be happy to take you."

Lily stared at him like he had a second head. Suddenly the door swung open again, this time revealing Al. He didn't see the Italy brothers, and instead walked straight over to Lily.

"Hey doll, sorry it took so long. I hope you weren't waiting for too long," he said, bending down to peck her on the cheek. "Something bothering you?"

He followed her gaze to see the two Italies staring at them in a panic. Veneziano let out a small squeak when Al saw them, and turned to his brother, only to see that his brother was already gone.

"Fratello!" he cried out, sprinting after a fleeing figure in the distance.

Al and Lily watched them disappear into the crowd, and then Al turned back to Lily. "So, ready for dinner?"

"What, no guests this time?" she teased.

"Nah, I figured it'd be nice to have some time just the two of us," Al replied, smiling. "You want to ankle around a bit, and see what catches our eye?"

"Works for me. So long as we're not out for too long; I'm freezing," she remarked.

Al took Lily's hand in his, and they made their way down the street. Al was always a beacon of warmth, so Lily wasted no time cuddling up to him as they strolled past shop windows, canals, and houses. When Al pointed out a place, Lily almost asked to keep walking just to preserve the moment, but then a cold gust of wind changed her mind.

They were seated quickly, and buried themselves in the menus in no time at all. "Say," Lily began to say. "Since you know the cuisine so well, why don't you pick something for me?"

"Hm?"

"Surprise me. Pick something off the menu you think I should try. I don't know what it's saying anyways, so why not?" she suggested.

"Alright, if you say so. But don't come crying to me when it's soused herring," he teased.

"What's that?"

"Well, it's a kind of small, pickled fish, usually served with onions, but they eat it pretty much by just letting it slide down your throat," Al explained, laughing when she saw her shudder.

"Alright, I'll pass on that. I'm placing my trust in you, flyboy, don't make me regret it," Lily warned.

"Don't worry doll, you're in safe hands," Al consoled.

The waiter appeared, and Lily watched Al order for them both in Dutch. She sipped her water as he talked to the waiter, and debated whether or not to ask Al about his meeting. He usually brushed her off whenever she asked about work, but then again it was only polite to take an interest in his day. Plus, she was starting to become very curious about what it was he actually did.

The waiter walked away, and Al smiled mischievously at Lily.

"That smile isn't encouraging," Lily noted.

"You're too sensitive. It'll be a good surprise, don't worry," Al soothed, but his smile stayed.

"So, how was the first day of the meeting?" Lily asked.

"Eh, alright," Al answered. "The first day's usually pretty boring. Enough about that, how was the rest of your day? You enjoy seeing that neighborhood?"

Lily narrowed her eyes. Here he was dodging the topic and changing the subject again. _Well, two can play at that game_ , she thought to herself. "It was beautiful, I wandered around, and popped into a shop or two to try and warm up. I got a present for my mom too, but that's not important. What sort of things do you guys do at these meetings anyways?"

That grin was long gone now. "Well, the first day we usually go over the agenda, and list off all the major problems we're going to discuss. In all honesty, sweetheart, it's really boring. If I keep going I'll put you to sleep. All we do is talk about problems, come up with some ideas as to how to fix them, and go home and report. There's really nothing else to it."

Lily pursed her lips. She wanted to push further, but she didn't want to bother Al anymore than she already had. She'd save the rest of her questions for another time. "So Francis is in town; any of your other brothers here?"

"Actually, all of them. Arthur and Matthew are both attending the meeting. I'm afraid I haven't been able to set up dinner or lunch with them yet, but I'm going to see if I can get us all together for something," Al answered.

"That'd be nice," Lily agreed. "I've always wanted to see how Francis and Arthur interact with one another, especially after hearing all of your stories."

They chatted like that until their food came. Al had stayed true to his word; he had gotten Lily stamppot, which was a dish of mash potatoes mixed with various vegetables and sausage. Al explained that it was often considered one of the best meals for a cold night, and he figured she'd appreciate that with the cold and all. However, he had gotten the soused herring, and gleefully watched her cover her eyes as he slurped it down.

"What, I'm just appreciating the local cuisine, Lily! You want to try some?"

"Oh god no! Just...finish it up so I don't have to watch you eat it anymore," she commanded, shuddering when he swallowed the last bit of it up.

"Hey doll, want a kiss?" he said, puckering his lips after finishing the last bit.

"I'll take a check, thanks," Lily snorted, turning her head away. Al laughed, and she couldn't help but smile at his ridiculousness.

Al paid the check, and they went outside once more, Lily bracing herself against the cold. Almost automatically Al took her arm in his, and she nuzzled in close to him, grateful for his warmth.

"Long way or short way?" he asked.

"Mmm...Long way," she answered.

"You sure?" he asked again.

"Yup. It's too beautiful a night to waste," she stated confidently.

They spent another hour gradually making their way back to the hotel, barely saying a word. Lily could only describe the feeling as magical. The lights seemed to gleam in the the dark, causing the accumulated snow to glisten and sparkle. Something about being all nuzzled up to Al felt right, like a puzzle piece clicking into place. She sighed as she watched the light dance on the frozen canal, and wished that the whimsical feeling around her would never end.

Unfortunately the hotel did come into view. She would have asked to stay out longer, but her eyelids were gradually getting heavier and heavier, and her legs began wishing for her bed more and more. Al jokingly offered to carry her up the stairs as she took her time, and she almost considered taking him up on his offer, for a moment.

"Well, can I kiss you now, or do I need to take a check 'cause of my breath?" Al asked as they said goodnight outside their respective hotel rooms.

"Well, life is made of little concessions," Lily remarked, and leaned in to kiss him. "Ugh, that was foul," she muttered as she pulled away.

"Aw c'mon, my breath isn't that bad!" Al blew into his hand and lifted it up to his nose. "Okay, never mind, I see your point."

Lily laughed, and turned to go into her hotel room. "Goodnight, Al."

"Goodnight!" he called after her, as she shut the door.

Al hardly had the energy to take his clothes off before flopping into bed. He felt guilty about blowing her off every time she took an interest in his work, but he knew he had to or it could spell trouble. Still, he could tell she was starting to get irritated with it, and he wondered how much longer he could keep up the charade.

 _Well, worrying about it now won't change anything_ , he told himself. _Sleep's the best thing for you now._

He flopped his head onto his pillow, and let out a relieved sigh. _Yeah, no need to tell me twice_ , he chuckled, as he slowly drifted off to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello everybody! Sorry this chapter took so long, I had writer's block like you wouldn't believe. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!  
** - **TC**

* * *

Al tried to wait for Lily, but after ten minutes of waiting, he had to start breakfast or run the risk of being late to the meeting. Today was the day they really started to get working, making it of the utmost importance that he be there on time.

Al was wolfing down his breakfast when he saw Lily enter the dining room. He abruptly stood up, and pulled her chair out for her. "So sorry, I had to start eating without you," he apologized. "What do you want? I'll go get it for you."

"Uh, could you get me some bread with that cheese I really liked? I forget what it was called," she replied.

Al nodded, and bounded off to the buffet table, leaving Lily to watch him as a hotel employee filled her cup with coffee. She really wanted to try and get more answers from him about his job, but with how energetic and occupied he was right now, she doubted she'd get answers to any questions this morning.

Al reappeared and slid a heaping plate of food in front of her. "Al, this is way more than I can eat," she said, eyeing the plate in bewilderment.

Al glanced up at her. "Oops, sorry. I'll eat what you can't finish if you slide it onto my plate."

Lily slid a sizable portion onto Al's plate, being very used to his eating habits. "So, what's the schedule looking like for today?" she inquired.

"Well, today is going to be pretty hectic, so I'm not entirely sure we're going to get a lengthy lunch break," Al explained. "You can stop by the meeting house at twelve if you want just to be sure, but if I'm not out by twelve ten, we're probably not getting out."

"Alright. You okay if I just do lunch on my own?" Lily asked.

"Of course. That way you won't waste a trip," Al remarked, smiling at her. "Anyways, I better get going." He wolfed down the last of the food, stood up, and pecked her on the cheek. "Have a lovely day, doll."

"You too," she replied, and she watched him go, sighing as she turned back to her breakfast.

As expected, the day was busy. Unlike yesterday, when Al swore he could've died of boredom, today was full of excitement and jobs to do. Al was especially excited, because the most recent wave of discussions and ideas after the end of the Great War had been promising of peace to come. Sure, there were still disputes here and there between Germany and France about borders and reparations, which was sure to cause a fight between the two at many meetings, this one being no exception. However, the Dawes Plan and the Treaty of Locarno had helped ease those tensions somewhat, leading America to take great pride in the accomplishments of the nations in attendance. Still, there was much work still to be done, especially with the recently established Kellogg Briand Pact condemning war, and the revision of the Dawes Plan. The nations needed to discuss and come to conclusions as to how they would implement and apply these new developments and decisions, as well as discuss other potential problems. They certainly had their work cut out for them, but America was optimistic and hopeful for the future success of their actions.

Still, even he had his doubts. Many of the nations still looked very haggard and worn, even though the war had been a decade ago, and they had taken great strides since then in repairing the mass destruction it had left in its wake. Germany looked like he had lost weight, and seemed more tired and frustrated by the day. France put on a good show, but America had noticed that his hair and eyes looked dull, and his fingernails were bitten to a stump. Ottoman, or Turkey, as he was now called, showed no signs of being tired from beneath his mask, but walked stiffly, as if still possessing a wound of some sort. Poor Austria showed up in a wheelchair, pushed by his newly divorced ex-wife Hungary, who seemed to struggle to look him in directly in the eye after all that had happened. And Russia...Russia seemed changed. Many of the nations were wary of him to begin with, but now much of the world was terrified of him, and America couldn't blame them. He now posed a threat to the world as they knew it, at a time when all they all desired was just a little peace and stability.

Suffice to say, everyone was pretty tired by the time their brief lunch break came around. Considering how little time they had before having to return to the business at hand, no one went out; however, Netherlands had anticipated this, and brought in a bunch of sandwich fixings for those attending the meeting. Everyone was fairly surprised, and America saw several people go up and thank Netherlands personally. America had his doubts though; several scowls in Belgium's direction seemed to hint that it may have not been his decision to provide lunch.

Most nations separated into various groups dispersed at various tables and chairs throughout their meeting venue. America sat with his brothers at a small dining room towards the back of the building. France and Canada seemed to be in a good mood, but Arthur seemed more irritable than usual. Something told America that it wasn't his usual meeting frustrations this time though, a conclusion most likely reached by the repeating glares Arthur kept shooting in his direction.

"So, Amérique, any interesting plans for the last day? Doing anything special with Lily?" Francis asked.

"Well, I figured we'd do a little bit of historical sight seeing. Nothing's set in stone though, so who knows what we'll end up doing," Al explained.

"Sounds nice," Matthew commented meekly.

They all chewed on their sandwiches in awkward silence, which was not helped by Arthur's terrible mood.

"Tell you what, though, it's been kind of weird this week with the other nations," Al noted.

"In what way?" Francis asked.

"I dunno, a couple times I've walked up to a group and got this feeling that they were talking about me. And I tried talking to Spain for a bit, but he was acting all uneasy and weird, until he finally just excused himself to go to the restroom out of the blue. I don't know what I did to make people so antsy."

"You don't know what you did?!" Arthur exclaimed furiously, abruptly standing up from his chair. "How daft are you? You didn't think that bringing a human girl with you to a nation conference wasn't going to be a bit of a problem?!"

"I mean, I knew it was unconventional, but I honestly didn't think it was all that big of a deal. It's not like I'm taking her into the meeting house with me," Al retorted.

"Christ, you are thick! It's one thing to have a fling with a girl, it's another to invite her to Thanksgiving dinner and take her with you to Amsterdam!" Arthur yelled, getting red in the face.

Francis glanced at the doorway anxiously, seeing a few people slow down to peep in the room to see what all the commotion was about. "Angleterre..."

"What is your problem?!" Al shot back, standing up as well. "I don't see how my personal life is anyone's goddamn business! Especially yours! Why can't I just live my life without you butting you nose into every damned thing I do!"

"I'd let you live your life if you didn't spend every second of it being an absolute arse!" Arthur spat.

"That's it, Angleterre, come with me," Francis interjected, before either of them could say anything else.

"What?" Arthur sputtered, still red in the face from yelling. Francis grabbed his arm without answering, and began dragging him out of the room. "Where the bloody hell are you taking me, frog?"

Al and Matthew listened to their bickering fade away, until they heard a door slam towards the front of the house.

Al flopped back down into his chair. "Man, who does that limey think he is!" he vented. "I'm a fully developed nation last time I checked! I can take care of myself!"

Matthew nodded, fixating on a couple crumbs leftover on his plate.

"And that's another thing, how's it anybody's place to judge our relationship as right or wrong?" Al continued. "It's my choice to be with Lily, and it's my life, so I'll live it as I please!"

Matthew picked up his napkin and began fidgeting with it. He had decided long ago not to say anything and let things run their course, but listening to Al was becoming a little too much to bear. Gently Matthew set down his napkin, and decided to say something.

"America-"

"Hey, meeting's going to start up again in ten minutes!" Belgium announced, poking her head into the room. "Ned wanted me to give everyone a warning."

Matthew sighed as she left, and turned back to Al. "America, I don't agree with England entirely, but I can't help but wonder if your relationship with Lily is a bad idea."

Al stared at him for a moment. "Oh Canada, not you too," he groaned.

"I know you guys really care for each other, and I think that's great, but I just don't think that it's going to work out in the long run. You're a nation; things like this just aren't in the cards for us," Matthew explained.

"Oh, so I guess you're Mr. Perfect over here, telling me what's right for me from your tall horse, huh?" Al snapped. "Just like everybody else."

"Don't lump me in with them! I'm not gossiping about it! I'm just telling you I'm concerned about you! I don't think what you're doing is a good idea!" Matthew protested. "It's not a matter of moral right or wrong, it's a matter of personal well being!"

"Concern? Personal well being? Is my being happy not enough for you, Canada? Should I be working day in and day out, alone, bored, and worn out? Would that satisfy you guys? Well then, you can take your concern and SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!" Al shouted.

Matthew was taken aback. "What the hell's your problem?"

"My problem is you and everyone else telling me how to live my life! I can't do anything without you all judging me and telling me I'm wrong, and I'm sick of it! You're all hypocrites!" Al yelled.

"How am I a hypocrite?!" Matthew exclaimed, flabbergasted.

"You're judging me for dating Lily, but I guess it was perfectly fine when you dated Minnesota! She hasn't spoken the same way since! It's like your damn accent is contagious!" Al argued.

"She's not a human, America, she's a state!" Matthew retorted. "It's different!"

"Well, I've had enough!" Al exclaimed with an air of finality, and began to gather up his things. "Mattie, I thought you were on my side, but I guess I was wrong."

"I'M NOT ON ANY SIDE, DAMMIT!" Matthew shouted, fed up with Al. "I'M TRYING TO HELP, BUT I GUESS MR. HERO HERE KNOWS EVERYTHING IN THE GODDAMN UNIVERSE, SO SCREW ME FOR TRYING! I'M SUCH A HORRIBLE, NASTY PERSON, FOR TRYING TO SAVE MY HOSE-HEAD BROTHER FROM HIS IDIOT SELF!"

Al glared at Matthew, and then stormed out of the room. Matthew put his head in his hands, his blood still boiling, but his gut beginning to twist with guilt and regret.

The rest of the meeting was rough, to say the least. Matthew wasn't sure how many people had overheard their fight, but some were beginning to catch on that something was up. Al was stone cold, still boiling beneath the surface from their argument, and refusing to look Arthur or Matthew in the eye. When it was his turn to present, he was brief and blunt instead of his usually loud and boisterous self, which unnerved many of the nations.

Matthew felt helpless, which only added to his frustration. His brother was such a bullheaded idiot that there simply was no helping him, which left Matthew to just sit and watch the train wreck unfold. Halfway through Al's presentation, Matthew decided he couldn't take it anymore, and got up and left.

 _Aw hell, no one notice's I'm even here anyways. What does it matter if I leave?_ he thought glumly to himself as he grabbed his briefcase, and strode out. He locked eyes with Al as he reached the door, but Al turned away and continued his presentation. Matthew sighed, and left the conference room.


	18. Chapter 18

_Hey guys. So, so sorry it's been so long. Been busy like you wouldn't believe doing college applications and essays. But anyway, I'm back for the new year, and determined to get this done! Hold onto your hats, 'cuz it's gonna be one hell of a ride. Hope you enjoy! -TClemens_

Lily nervously bounced up and down on her feet, glancing at her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Al was running late, leaving Lily to awkwardly shift around to keep warm. She had a nice day just sort of meandering around the city, but all day she wondered if there wasn't some way she could get a straight answer out of Al about his job. Deep down she had a feeling it was hopeless, but still all day her mind tried to find a way to get him to not be so cagey for once.

Finally the door swung open, and a crowd of tired people in business attire made their way out. Lily scanned the group until she finally spotted Al, and started waving furiously to catch his attention. He finally spotted her after a few moments of scanning the street, and broke off from the crowd congregating in front of the meeting house.

"Rough day?" Lily asked, noticing his tired expression.

"You don't know the half of it," Al sighed. "Want to head over to that place we passed the other night? I'm starving."

"Sounds good to me," Lily agreed.

Lily slipped her arm in Al's, and they made their way down the street. Al sighed in relief as they walked further and further away from the crowd congregating outside of the meeting house.

Lily mostly just followed Al's lead, but stopped when he started heading towards a side street. "Isn't the restaurant that way?" she asked, pointing ahead.

"Yes, but I figured we'd take the longer scenic route," Al explained.

"Didn't you say you were starving?" Lily asked.

"I figured you'd like this way better," Al shrugged. "Besides, I'm always hungry, so an extra twenty minutes is going to make much of a difference."

"Are you sure?" Lily asked.

"Absolutely sure. Couldn't be more sure," Al replied, and smiled, wrapping his arm around her.

Lily wasn't entirely sure if he was being truthful, but she decided to go along with it anyways. Still, it didn't take long for Al's smile to melt into a tired expression, and his eyes looked sleepy and bloodshot. She kept glancing worriedly up at Al, wanting to ask what was wrong, but not quite sure if he'd give her a straight answer, or dodge it like he usually does.

"Is everything alright?" Al asked the fourth time he caught her glancing up at him.

Lily pursed her lips before responding. "Well, it's just you look exhausted, Al. Are you sleeping all right?"

"There's no need to worry, doll," Al waved it off. "It was just a long day at work, that's all."

"Did something happen at the meeting?" Lily inquired. "You just seem kind of...defeated," she finished meekly.

Lily felt Al tense up a bit besides her. "Nothing out of the ordinary," he replied half-heartedly.

"But something did happen?" she asked again.

Al sighed. "Look, doll, what happened at the meeting doesn't matter. I'm here with you now, so what's it matter what happened hours ago?"

"Al, if you don't tell me what's got you down I'm not able to help you," Lily argued.

Al stopped in the street. "Doll, I don't talk about these things 'cause there simply is no need for it," he tried to explain. "The moments I get to spend with you are my break from the rat race, and they do me more good than anything. You're my escape from it all."

Lily started, and stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" Al asked, puzzled at Lily's expression.

"I can't believe you," she muttered, and stormed off ahead.

"Wait! Lily! Where are you going? Was it something I said?" Al cried out after her. He jogged and caught up to her, lightly grabbing her arm.

Lily wrenched her arm out of Al's grip, and turned to face him. "I'm your escape from it all? You make me sound like some little floosy you screw around with on the weekends!"

"Lily, you and I both know I didn't mean it like that," Al defended.

"Forget it," Lily mumbled. "Let's just go to dinner." She began making her way down the street, leaving Al no choice but to follow, cursing his stupid mouth under his breath the whole way there.

Dinner was tense, to say the least. Lily was cold and blunt, meeting all of Al's attempts to start a conversation with nothing.

Al glanced across the table, where Lily was staring determinedly at her plate. He felt like in one day he had experienced more drama than he would in a lifetime, and it was not making him feel any less tired. Finally he rubbed the bridge of his nose, and decided to say something.

"Lily, I'm sorry, but I just don't see what the problem is with me wanting to keep my work and personal life separate," he stated matter-of-factly.

Lily set her fork down more forcefully than necessary, making Al jump ever so slightly at the clatter. "You really don't see a problem with it?"

"No, I don't," Al replied, getting a little defensive.

"We've been together for how many months, and I feel like I barely know anything about you!" she snapped. "Every time I try to figure out even the slightest thing about you, you dodge the question like a bullet. Don't you see how frustrating that is?! You know my whole life story, and I know next to nothing about yours!"

"I tell you things!" Al retaliated. "Hell, you've even met my brothers and some of my co-workers! Does that not count for anything?"

"It would, but I can hardly get a straight answer out of them too! You tell me you're in diplomacy, but what sort of diplomacy consists of only international siblings for crying out loud?! None of it makes any sense!" Lily exclaimed.

"You make it sound like I'm an international bootlegger or something!" Al protested.

"For all I know, you could be," Lily stated flatly.

Al stared at her for a minute, and then tiredly banged his head on the table. Lily continued to glare at him defiantly, but her gut began to twist with guilt as she saw how beaten down and worn he was. Gradually her gaze softened, and she sighed in resignation.

"I'm sorry, Al," she capitulated.

Al slowly lifted his head, and looked at her through bloodshot eyes. "Do you really not trust me?" he said softly, twisting Lily's gut even more.

"I-I just don't know, Al," she said with a sigh. "I love you , but I just can't shake the feeling that you're lying to me."

The waiter came by and dropped the check off. Al picked it up, pulled out his wallet, and paid it.

"Come on, let's get out of here," he said. Lily pursed her lips, and followed him out.

"So...What's next on the agenda?" Lily asked once they were outside.

"Well, there's one stretch of the canals that's really pretty at night, I figured we'd ankle there, and see where the night takes us."

Lily pursed her lips. "That sounds lovely, Al, but are you sure you don't just want to head back to the hotel and call it a night? You look exhausted," she noted.

"You're in Amsterdam, you don't want to have to spend a night in your hotel room! It wouldn't be right," Al protested, but Lily could see he was tempted.

"Al, I've seen plenty of the canals, and they're all beautiful, but I don't think it'll be the end of the world if I miss one. Besides, I don't know if you'd even be able to make the trip without keeling over," she encouraged.

"Are you sure?" Al asked.

"Absolutely. Need me to carry you home?" she joked.

"Sounds nice, it might be best that I pass," Al replied.

They made their way to the hotel just in time, because any longer and Al might have just settled for the floor to sleep.

"Thanks for doing this, doll," Al said sleepily.

"It's nothing, flyboy. Now get yourself some sleep."

Al kissed her briefly, and headed into his room. Lily stood in the hallway for a moment, contemplating if it was just her imagination, or if that kiss did feel just a little bit obligatory.

Al sighed gratefully as he flopped into bed after taking off his clothes. His eyelids felt like they had little weights on them. Blissfully, he let them slide close, almost excited to drift away to dreamland.

Just as he was about to slip into unconsciousness, however, his argument with Lily that evening jumped into his mind. Al cursed under his breath. All he wanted to do was sleep, but his mind wouldn't let him. Over and over he replayed the day's arguments with Arthur and Mattie, and with Lily. He understood why she kept putting the screws to him, and it made him feel all the worse about continually lying to her. He tried to console himself saying that at least most were half-truths, but what sort of healthy relationship is built on half truths?

He felt so awful about the whole thing, but what was he going to do, tell her the truth? 'Hey, I'm actually an immortal being who is the manifestation of your nation. Oh, and so are my brothers, and all of my coworkers.' She'd write him off as a schizophrenic, at the very least.

But breaking it off seemed impossible to Al. He had never felt so carefree in his life, and it was all thanks to Lily. For once there was a person he could talk to without having to mention politics, or national issues, or anything, really. He could just sort of be, and she'd accept him and love him as he was. He had never felt that way towards anybody, and the idea of leaving her horrified him to his core.

Finally realizing there was no possibility of him being able to sleep like this, he got out of bed and redressed, hoping a breath of fresh air might help him clear his head.

Al leaned against the rail on the bridge, and stared at the gently lapping waves of the canal, deep in thought. The air was biting cold and the metal rail even colder, but Al didn't notice. Bits of past memories streamed through in his head like a film feature of their relationship, with a constant interrupting slide of, 'How can I keep this up, how can I keep this up, how can I keep this up?'

He was so absolved in thought he didn't notice the figure that joined him at the rail until a wisps of cigarette smoke floated in front of him.

Al glanced over to see Francis staring out at the canal, taking a deep draw on his cigarette. He exhaled, and watched the smoke dissipate into the air.

"Couldn't sleep, mon ami?" he asked, not looking in Al's direction.

"Yeah, pretty much," Al answered flatly, turning back to the canal.

"Beautiful, non? I love it when it is empty best. The fresh snow glistens all the better when there are no feet to ruin it, or lights to make its sparkle too harsh."

"Hmm," Al responded. He watched shadows dance behind a curtain in one of the row houses, until the shadow disappeared and the light turned off.

"France..." he began.

"Oui, mon ami?"

"I don't know what to do. Everything I do seems to just upset someone or mess up something, and everything seems to go either horribly wrong or fantastic. I want to live my own life, happy and on my own terms, but life just doesn't seem to want to let me, you know?" Al blurted.

"I'm guessing this is about the girl, non?" Francis asked.

"She makes my life just so great and worth living, and I want her with me forever, but I can't tell her about, about this-" he said, gesturing to the two of them, "without ruining everything. And I can't help but wonder if being America isn't going to put a bit of a damper on the relationship. I mean, am I hurting her? Am I ruining her life? Can I fix it? I just don't know, and I haven't slept in days and she's catching on and worrying, and I just don't know. I'm all balled up."

"Do you want to 'ear my opinion on the matter?" Francis asked sincerely.

"Sure, why not," Al answered, defeated.

"This girl is very special to you. She makes you 'appy, fulfilled, and gives you great companionship. There is nothing wrong with that. You make her, I believe, equally as 'appy,"Francis began.

"But," Al interjected.

"'Owever," Francis continued, shooting Al a look, "the lie on which your relationship is founded is a problem. It is like building a house on sand. It will not last, and will be full of problems before it falls apart. Unless you get rid of the lie, it will end, and end painfully."

Al sighed and hung his head. "So I can either tell her the truth, against the will of every person at this conference, or end it before it goes down in flames."

"Yes."

"God damn it."

They stood in silence, and Francis took another draw on his cig.

"But why can't it just keep going?" Al half-asked, half-shouted. "Why can't I just live a lie for once in my life!" He kicked the rail. "All I wanted was to live like a normal person for a little bit each day. Was that too much to ask?!"

"Amerique, believe it or not, I once was in your shoes, many, many years ago. I understand 'ow you feel, and believe it or not, so does Angleterre, despite his flawed ability to show it. Wanting to escape the burden placed on us as nations is something just about every single nation 'as tried to do. 'owever, it is not just you that is involved. Forming a relationship with a human can be a wonderful thing for the nation, but we 'ave hundreds, thousands of years to live, almost an eternity. Humans, though, only have one, blissfully short life. Each day is precious, few in number, and ultimately theirs to spend. Lily is no different. In fifty, sixty years, she will die."

"Dammit," Al muttered weakly.

"If you cannot give her forever, and the life she desires, then don't waste her today," Francis stated resolutely. Francis put out his cigarette, and patted Al on the shoulder. "Try to get some sleep, mon ami. You won't figure this out tonight."

Francis left, and Al gripped the rail as he watched him go. The snow began to fall more heavily, and amongst his cluttered thoughts, Al almost wished it would bury him, and hide him from his problems. Francis' words echoed through his head, and finally he released the rail, and walked back to the hotel glum, cold, and tired.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys! Chapter 19's here! Enjoy!**

Lily expected to be the first one at the breakfast table, but sure enough, Al was sitting in their normal spot, buttering a piece of bread. He didn't notice her until she sat down, and when he looked up, Lily was shocked by the shadows underneath his eyes.

"Al, did you sleep at all last night?" she asked in disbelief.

Al waved her off. "I slept like a log. Though I do think I might be catching a cold or something." As if to illustrate his point, he sneezed, but still came up yawning.

"Need any help getting breakfast?" Al asked.

"No, I think I got it, but thank you. Just make sure if the waitress comes by she fills my coffee, would you?"

"Sure thing, doll." Lily got up and grabbed breakfast, and when she returned, Al was dozing with his eyes closed.

"Al, are you sure you're alright? You look horrible. Maybe you should call in sick today," Lily fretted.

"No can do, doll. With only one meeting a year, they don't really allow sick days. Besides, tomorrow it's just you and I for the whole day! Aren't you excited?" Al said with strained enthusiasm.

"Of course," Lily replied with matched enthusiasm. "What were you planning, again?"

"Well, of course you're going to want to shop a little in the markets, so we might have to skip a historical site or two-" Al began.

"How 'bout I visit the markets today?" Lily interjected. "I'm sure you don't want to follow me around while I'm shopping, and this way we get the most out of tomorrow."

"If you're okay with it, then sure! Man, I just know you're gonna love the Rijksmuseum, the collection they have is beautiful..." Al began to ramble about all the amazing places he was planning on taking her, but Lily was only half-listening. She was too focused on the tiredness of his eyes, and the unruliness of his hair and clothes, like he couldn't even focus for long enough to put himself together. Something serious was bothering him, and she just couldn't put her finger on what it was. She knew he'd never tell her anything, no matter how serious it was, but she couldn't help but be annoyed by the constant anonymity.

"Aw crap. I'm late. I'll see you around twelve for lunch. Sound good, doll?"

"Sounds good." Al kissed her on the cheek and rushed off, and once he disappeared, Lily put her face in her hands, and rubbed her temples.

Al got up from his chair and stretched as everybody else filed out of the room. Netherlands had just announced the lunch break, and everybody was getting as far away from the meeting house as they possibly could in an hour.

Al was just about to head out the door himself to meet up with Lily, but then he saw Mattie sitting alone at the table, dejectedly pulling out a paper bag.

"Canada, don't tell me that's your lunch!" Al called out to him.

"Yeah, well, England and France forgot me again, so..." Matthew said a little glumly. "I don't really mind it though, I like having the time to think by myself."

"That's it, you're coming with me. I can't let my twin brother sit alone with that pathetic sandwich. You're joining Lily and I for lunch, and that's final."

"Really? You're sure? I don't want to impose..." Matthew said meekly.

"Nonsense. Hurry up though, she's waiting outside, and you know how she hates the cold," Al stated.

"Of course." Matthew grabbed his briefcase, and followed Al outside, leaving his smushed paper bag on the table.

Matthew expected to feel like a third wheel, but he certainly expected it to be less tense. The entire walk Lily and Al made stiff, awkward small talk, while Matthew just followed and listened, feeling like he was intruding on something.

Francis had told him about the conversation he had with Al last night, but Matthew hadn't really believed it until now. Although he was sad for it, and felt terrible about the strained, worn look on his brother's face, he was glad that Al was finally facing up to the music.

They found a restaurant and sat down for lunch. Lily asked about the meeting, Al deflected the question aptly, and then the stiff silence returned as they looked at their menus again.

"I'm going to go find a bathroom. I'll be right back," Al announced, and got up and left.

Matthew buried himself in his menu, but glanced over the top, and noticed Lily was staring at him intently. Matthew shyly ducked behind his menu, but Lily cleared her throat, and he slowly set the menu down.

"Hows this week been going for you, Matthew?" she asked nonchalantly, taking a sip of water.

"Oh, well, same as usual, I suppose. People kinda forget about me, so things usually aren't too eventful on my end. How are you liking Amsterdam so far?" he asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Oh, it's been fantastic. It's a beautiful city. But I'm sure you don't want to listen to me ramble on about my tourism. Say, Matthew, what's your office in the Canadian government, exactly?" she inquired, steering the conversation back.

"Oh, it's pretty hard to explain, and I'm sure you don't want-" Matthew stuttered.

"Try me," Lily interjected.

"Well...I'm the Canadian International...Overview Representative," Matthew answered weakly.

"The Canadian International Overview Representative? So is Al the American International Overview Representative? Is this a International Overview Council, then?" Lily pressed.

"Well, I'm not sure if they have a different name for it in America, and as for the council, bureaucracy sure loves their acronyms, so it's called some jumble of letters I don't really remember off the top of my head..." Matthew rambled.

"I see." Matthew could see that Lily was suspicious, which just made him all the more nervous. "It's interesting; I've never seen anything about this council in the papers."

"Well, it is an overview committee, so we don't really do anything groundbreaking enough to get in the papers, but I'd like to think we do our part," Matthew offered weakly.

"I see. Thank you, Matthew." Lily quieted down again, and Matthew went straight back to hiding behind the menu. Al returned, they ordered, and the waiter unfortunately took away Matthew's shield from Lily's suspicious glances, making the rest of lunch very uncomfortable for Matthew. He was glad for the invitation and consideration his brother had shown, but he couldn't help but wish for the secluded meeting room and his squished sandwich.

For whatever reason, Matthew decided to say goodbye at the restaurant, and take a different route back to the meeting house. Al was puzzled, especially by the guilty look on Lily's face as he walked away, but shrugged it off, took Lily's arm in his, and strolled with her back to the meeting house.

"So, I was thinking maybe tonight I could try to get all the brothers together for dinner with us. Any thoughts?" Al asked.

"Sounds lovely. So long as they don't mind, I'm fine with it," Lily replied.

They walked in silence for a little while, each wondering about the other.

"So...Mattie told me you all are International Overview Representatives," Lily stated.

"Did he now?" Al replied, trying to mask the tiredness in his voice.

"So what's so bad about being an International Overview Representative that you didn't want to tell me?"

Al sighed. "Like I told you before, my job is incredibly boring and uninteresting. I didn't see the need to tell you about every dull aspect of it. There's you and me, and the good times, and then there's it, with me wanting to strangle my coworkers with a business tie. There's no need to overlap 'em with one another."

"But Al, you won't even tell me you're job title! And it's a big part of your life! Shouldn't I be part of it too, then?" Lily fired back.

"Look, Lily, let's just move past it, alright? Let's just enjoy the moment," Al remarked. "Right now it's just you and me, in Amsterdam, strolling on a beautiful winter afternoon, digesting a delicious Dutch lunch. What more do we need?"

Lily settled down, and leaned into him, but it still nettled her the whole way back to the meeting house. This whole struggle over his livelihood was becoming a roadblock to their happiness, and Lily was determined to smash it to bits, no matter what it took to get it out of the way. 


	20. Chapter 20

_**Hello everybody! Despite being a monumental chapter number (Can't believe I've made it to twenty, though it certainly took me long enough :) this chapter's not the most exciting, nor my best. But never fear, the next one will be a little more interesting, and the slog will slowly break in the next few chapters, where it gets interesting. Muhahaha. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**_

 _ **Also, again, sorry for the unexpected hiatus. This has been a bit of a tough year, but no excuses, I owe you guys the best finished story I can muster. Enjoy!**_

 _ **-T Clemens**_

Francis smoked a cigarette in the lobby, ignoring the pointed glares shot his way by the receptionist. He was waiting for Arthur to make his way out, who had been stopped by one of his many colonies. Francis didn't recognize them, but who could blame him; Arthur rotated through them like there was no tomorrow.

Al had returned from lunch and asked them all to dinner with him and Lily. Francis quickly accepted the invitation for all of them before Arthur or Matthew could refuse. Francis was able to quiet Arthur's resistance with a pointed look, but he was surprised to see Matthew become quiet and sullen, as if he was dreading the occasion. For all his years with the young nation, Francis still wondered if he understood him completely.

Finally Arthur appeared, looking grumpier than ever. Francis put out his cigarette, waved goodbye to the receptionist, and stepped outside with Arthur.

"Do you have any idea where this damn place is?" Arthur asked Francis.

"Oui, I'm familiar with it." They walked silently a few blocks, and Francis reached into his pocket, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, placed one in his teeth, and offered the pack to Arthur.

"Merci," Arthur mumbled. Francis lit Arthur's and then his own.

Francis took a long thoughtful draw. "I spoke to Amerique last night."

"Oh? Any luck getting through to that twit?" Arthur inquired.

"I am very 'opeful," Francis reflected. "Although, I think I did not tell 'im anything 'e did not already know."

"I think you overestimate him," Arthur snorted.

"And I think you are too 'ard on 'im. 'E is smart, believe it or not, just prone to self-denial. Though even that is waning," Francis noted.

"So what do you think he'll end up doing?" Arthur asked.

Francis drew on his cigarette. "I do not know, but either way, I believe that it is coming to an end," he decided.

"Hmm. Good," Arthur replied.

Francis heard a loud sigh behind him, and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, Matthieu, I did not know you were 'ere."

"I know," Matthew said glumly.

"Well, apologies, old chap." Arthur patted Matthew's shoulder. "But at least you got to hear the good news! From the sound of things, it should be getting a lot better around here."

Matthew nodded, and then Arthur and Francis resumed ignoring him. He looked up at the sky, as a small flurry began to drift gently down.

"Dépend de qui vous demandez," he murmured to himself.

Al caught himself bouncing his leg for the forth time, and placed his hand on it to settle it down. His anxiousness over the approaching dinner seemed to pierce his exhaustion with new energy, but did nothing to stop the worried looks from Lily.

Francis' words had not stopped echoing in his head, but he had decided to go ahead anyway and invite all of his brothers to dinner with him and Lily. He had thought it might be a nice way to take his mind off of things, and distract Lily from her concern for a bit, but now he began to wonder how he managed to look past all the nightmarish possibilities for the evening.

"Bonjour!"

Al looked up to see Arthur and Francis stride over to where they were seated, with Matthew sheepishly trailing behind. Al was surprised to see Arthur in high spirits; usually when dragged to things he made it his personal vendetta to ruin them with his sullen behavior, particularly when dragged by Francis. However, he seemed to have a bounce in his step and an authentic grin ear to ear.

"Al, thanks for the invitation, old chap! And Lily, it is great to see you again. Have you been well?" Arthur asked enthusiastically, shaking both of their hands.

"I have, thank you for asking. I've been busy, but certainly not bored," she replied smoothly, though Al could tell she was just as confused as he was by Arthur's chipper demeanor.

"Ah, you must excuse him," Francis muttered to Al as he sat down in the chair beside him. "I think he 'as, well..." Francis made the drinking motion with his hand, causing Arthur to squint irately at them.

For all his fears, the night went very well. The conversation was good, with little to no bickering, which might as well have been considered a miracle for this family. Lily seemed to relax a bit, which made Al glad, but Matthew seemed quieter than usual, and almost seemed a little sad. Al had a gut feeling that Francis had told them about their conversation, hence the changed demeanor in the two. His gut wrenched as he thought again about the conversation, and the decision he was going to have to make sooner or later.

Suddenly he started out of his thought, as Lily had gently cupped his hand in hers under the table. Al glanced at it, and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, though it almost felt like he was squeezing his conscience as he did. He pushed his concerns down, though. Worrying wasn't going to help the evening at all, and anyways, there was nothing he could do about it here.

Francis won the battle for the check, and with full stomachs and happy spirits, everyone said goodnight and parted. Matthew paused, looking like he wanted to say something, but decided against it and left without a word. Al didn't know what to make of it, so he shrugged it off. He had made an effort to be his usual chipper self to put Lily at ease, and he was not going to ruin the sweet, placid smile on her face by getting all worked up over his brother.

"So, now you've met all the family, at once," Al began.

"Yup."

"And you're not running for the hills," Al joked.

"I thought they were all quite pleasant around each other," Lily rebutted playfully. "I'm starting to think you've been telling lies to make yourself look like the good one of the family."

"What'd be the point of that? I mean, it'd be pretty hopeless. You've already met Mattie," Al pointed out.

"True, but now I'm starting to think you're the worst one," she teased.

"Wha? Worst-" he spluttered. "Have you forgotten about Arthur's scene at Thanksgiving?"

"Relax, you're still my favorite, flyboy," Lily replied. "Though it's a shame Mattie doesn't live in America; I'd get the same view but a much better personality for the same price."

"Man, you're mean. Hitting me right where it hurts, huh?" Al responded with mock offense.

"Well, I guess I'm full of surprises." Lily kissed him on the cheek and snuggled into him. Al wrapped his arm around her, and she sighed, grateful for the warmth.

They kissed goodnight outside of their respective rooms, and Al went into his own hotel room. He flicked on the light, and stared at the mess sprawled everywhere. He knew he should start to straighten and pack a little now, but he had no energy left. What was left in the tank after the meeting was used up trying to lighten the mood all evening. He almost grimaced at the idea of having to do it again tomorrow. He felt awful for feeling that way, but he also hated having to put forth a mirage to ease her troubles. It felt like lying to distract from more lies.

Nevertheless, it was a necessary evil, and he needed energy for tomorrow. He knew the only way he was going to get it was sleep, and the only way he was going to sleep was if he stopped tearing himself up about it.

He changed his clothes, slipped into bed, and laid there for what felt like hours fighting off the pervading thoughts, until by some miracle, he fell asleep.


	21. Chapter 21

_Again, sorry for the lateness. I got behind schedule when my brother refused to yield control of the computer, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S LIKE THREE OTHER MONITORS IN THIS HOUSE HE COULD HOOK IT UP TO!_

 _Ahem._

 _As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter!_

 _-TClemens_

Al felt lighter than air as he walked out of the conference room for the last time. They'd just finished the concluding session, which meant he could be done with putting on a charade for all the other nations. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest, and he could now be free of the stares and hushed gossip for at least a year.

He was so excited to get out of there that he left with not so much as a goodbye to his brothers, only stopping as he opened the door to wave to Mattie, who happened to be the only one paying attention to Al.

Yup, he was finally free. He was beaming ear to ear as he opened the front door, and if not for a gust of freezing wind, he would have thought it was springtime.

He looked up as he skipped down the steps to see Lily waiting for him. For a split second it felt like a cloud had passed over him, and the thoughts that had pervaded his happiness for the past couple of days ran through his head. Al snapped himself out of it, and shoved those thoughts deep, deep down. Al wanted to make the most of today, no matter what tomorrow or the next day might bring. A part of him was longing for the carefreeness of their strolls through New York, and if he played his cards right, perhaps he could get a taste of it today.

"Excited for our fun day?" Al said, taking Lily's arm in his.

"Of course. Where are we going, anyways? I realized I forgot to ask," Lily replied.

"Well, that's a surprise! There'd be no fun in it if it wasn't," Al replied light heartedly. "What, don't you trust me?"

"I don't know if I should," Lily kidded. "But your charming flyboy ways leave me no choice."

Al laughed, and lead the way through the winding streets and bridges, stopping every once in a while to make Lily laugh by pretending to be a random person on the street. Al was finally starting to feel like himself again.

Finally they made it to their destination, and Lily gasped.

"What is this place? It's beautiful!"

"This is Dam square. It's a decently well-known historical spot in Amsterdam. Now, I know it's a bit cliche, but when I brought you with me here to Amsterdam, I had every intention of treating you like a princess," Al began.

Lily raised an eyebrow.

"So I figured," Al said, pausing for suspense, "that it was only right to take you to a palace. Welcome to the Royal Palace of Amsterdam!"

"That building right there?! We get to go inside?!" Lily exclaimed with excitement.

"Yup. So long as you don't mind looking at some old architecture and dusty furniture for a little while."

Lily beamed ear to ear, and they made their way towards the building.

"So how old is this building anyways?" Lily asked Al quietly as they strolled through.

"Well, I don't know the date exactly, but it used to be an old town hall when Napoleon breezed through and made his younger brother king here, and in typical French style, he redid the place as a palace. When Napoleon got booted out and the Dutch king returned, he decided to just keep it the way it was and live here," Al explained.

"Does the royal family still live here?"

"I think so."

"Man, that would be weird," Lily mused. "People always poking around your house. I don't know if I could stand it."

"Well, in a house this big, and with how much they charge for entry, I doubt they mind it too much," Al reckoned.

"How do you know so much about this anyway?" Lily pondered.

"Well, it's part of the job, I guess. It really helps knowing a bit of the history and culture when you're trying to schmooze a little bit. Plus, I find it interesting, so that helps," Al replied.

"Huh. You really are a jack of all trades, flyboy."

"Yup, pretty much." Al leaned down and pecked her on the lips, and they continued wandering through the palace.

In a way, Al got his wish; it truly did feel just a little bit like the good old days, just touring around with Lily. They spent a while at the Royal Palace, and then cruised over to the Nieuwe Kerk next door. It wasn't Al's first time at either place, but the city of Amsterdam had just done some renovations on the church, and Al made a mental note to compliment Ned on them next time he saw him.

Lunch was a quick affair in between touring, strolling, and market perusing. Finally, unfortunately, dusk fell, and their day began to end. Still, Al took her to a nice place for dinner, and to top things off, they got a table right next to a window with a beautiful view of a canal.

Lily set down her menu, and looked out onto the canal wistfully. "It's hard to believe we're going back tomorrow. Still, it'll be good to get back, right?"

"Hmm." Back home. As lovely as today was, that destination was looming overhead. No matter how much he wanted to just forget this trip and return to the hustle and bustle and wild fun of the city, he knew he couldn't just go back to the way things were. Francis was right; he had a decision to make, and he couldn't put this one off no matter how hard he tried.

Suddenly a little stressed, Al let a sigh escape him.

"Everything okay, flyboy?" Lily asked, pouncing upon the slight hint of discontentment.

"What, can't a guy relax?" Al responded, getting defensive. Immediately he saw that was a mistake, as a look of hurt came upon her face. "No, wait, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's just been a long week with work, and I'm a little worn thin. I'm glad it's over, especially now that I can spend more time with you."

Lily hid behind her menu, so Al reached across the table and took her hand in his. "Look, I know you're sad you've got to go back to that diner," he began. " I mean, a break from Florence is paradise for anybody! But hey, at least we can catch up on what old man Timothy's been up to, right? Don't you miss him, and how he'd chat with you for hours during your rush hour?"

Steadily her form began shaking behind the menu, and when she set down her menu again, Al could see she was laughing.

"You're something else, flyboy," she noted, dabbing her eyes on her sleeve.

The rest of dinner went well thanks to Al's quick wit and charisma, and after one last nighttime stroll down the canal lined streets of Amsterdam, Al and Lily arrived at their hotel tired and happy. The air almost felt a little bittersweet as they said goodnight one last time in that dim hallway.

"Well, I hope you had a good time," Al said weakly.

"Ooh! I almost forgot. Stay here," Lily blurted, as she scurried into her bedroom, leaving Al to stand alone, puzzled.

She reappeared with something in her hand. "I wanted to get you something to thank you for taking me, so I browsed around at one of the markets, and saw some cookies I knew you'd like. I mean, after all, the quickest way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I figured you'd appreciate the tin as a momento," Lily rambled nervously as she handed it to him.

Al turned it over in his hands. It was a small tin with an intricate blue and white pattern on it, depicting sailboats and windmills and tulip fields. It was beautiful, especially with the stroopwafels contained within.

"I know it's not much, but-" Lily was cut off mid sentence by Al pulling her into deep kiss.

He pulled away, Lily looking a little confused at the sudden action. "I love you, doll."

"I love you too, flyboy. I'm glad you like it," Lily said. "Well, we better get some sleep, we're gonna need to get up bright and early."

"Alright, well sleep tight, doll"

"Goodnight!"

Al closed the door behind him, and flopped tiredly on his bed. He had been on the verge of tears when she gave him that tin, and kissed her to cover it up. Every little thing like that just made what he had to do all the more heartbreaking and frustrating.

He began to worry about his current predicament, and tiredly ran his fingers through his hair. He then looked down and realized that he'd just stress eaten half of the cookies. He closed the tin and tossed it onto a pile of his clothes that he decided to pack last minute tomorrow. He changed his clothes, and then drifted off to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

_Hello everybody! Another chapter! Not much longer til the end, either! Two chapters, but they might take a little while. Anyways, hope you enjoy!_

 _-TClemens_

Lily was perplexed. When she and Al stepped off that boat, she had every expectation of a return to the good old days, except with an easier work schedule for Al and even more time for the two of them to spend together. However, she didn't see Al for a couple days, until he showed up at the diner one morning saying that he had to go to D.C for a week to report on the meeting. He took her out to the movies that evening, and then sure enough, was gone for a week. When he got back, he returned with no souvenirs or energy, which perplexed Lily. The Al she knew came back from any outing like a kid that just had their mind blown by visiting the toy store for the first time. He took her on a few lackluster dates, and then announced that he would be leaving again, this time to go on a fishing trip with Will in the Poconos.

She spent the rest of that night lying in her bed, wondering what the heck was happening. Al had told her about those trips countless of times, always enthusing about taking her with him, but this time he's leaving on one without so much as an invitation or explanation. _Was he feeling smothered? Was he trying to get away from her_? Lily sighed, and turned over in her bed. She couldn't help but feel like he was gradually slipping out of her life somehow.

Two weeks go by, and Lily began to get worried. Al had told her he was going to return a week ago, but she hadn't heard or seen him since he left. The first couple of days she brushed it off as him just taking a few extra days, but when the calendar showed that he was a week late, she decided she should check his apartment to see if he was there.

She rang the front door bell, clutching her little purse tightly in her hands. The landlord recognized her and let her in, and she went up the stairs to Al's level. She took a deep breath, and knocked on his apartment door.

The door swung open, and Al appeared in the doorway, looking a little worse for wear. His face was unshaven, his hair was mussed, and he looked like he hadn't slept for a while. What more, he was still in his bathrobe, and according to Lily's watch, it was three in the afternoon.

"Al, you look terrible! Are you sick?" Lily fretted, putting her hand up to his forehead.

His eyes took on a sort of hangdog look, and it almost seemed like he didn't want to look Lily in the eyes. "We need to talk," he uttered hoarsely, as he stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him.

Lily felt her breath catch. A million possibilities ran through her head, each worse than the last, as Al gathered his words. She clutched her handbag so tight that she was leaving dents in the leather with her chewed fingernails.

"I-" Al's throat caught. "I don't know if we can keep this up."

Lily stared at him in disbelief. "What?"

"I don't think we should keep seeing each other," he said flatly.

"Why?" Lily asked, her throat clenching.

"I just don't think my life is going to let me give you what you deserve," Al said, looking up as she began to cry. "You deserve the best out of life, and my job's just not going to let me do that. I move and travel constantly, and when I'm not on the road I'm in meetings and on the phone and doing paperwork, and there's just no end! It's just not fair to you, and I don't want to keep leading you down a dead end, you know?" Al explained, his voice cracking at the end.

"I don't care about all that. I'll go wherever you go, if it means still having you in my life, Al! This has been the best year of my life, and I'm not letting it end over some baloney you've gotten yourself all balled up about!" she argued.

"Doll, you just don't understand," Al responded dejectedly.

"You know what? I think I do understand. I think I understand that you're just a big timing cake eater who's fine screwing around, pissing the wind, but gets his tail between his legs when it comes time to talk about actual commitment," Lily snapped, through tears. "So you know what, you, and your bullshit excuse, and your bullshit life, and your bullshit lies can go chase yourselves. And I guess I'll do you one last favor and get out of your life before it gets too tedious for you. Have a good life, Al." She stormed away and down the stairs in a flurry of tears. Al watched her go until the door slammed shut behind her, the noise echoing through his head and permeating the air with a sense of glum finality.

Al shuffled back into his apartment, and closed the door behind him. He padded into his kitchen, opened a cabinet, and reached in to the deepest cranny to extract a bottle of whiskey, knocking down the bags of flour and sugar occluding it from view. He set it on the counter, and was just about to grab a glass when his eyes landed upon the ornate Dutch cookie tin, sitting innocently on his counter, glimmering as if it had captured all the light seeping through the tightly drawn curtains. He stared at it for a second, and then savagely seized it, and hurled it into the wall. For a split second, the tin seemed to freeze in place as it made contact with the wall, framed by shattered plaster like a fly caught dead center in a spider's web. Then time resumed, and it fell to the ground, its intricate design marred by a sizable dent. Al slowly sank to the floor, and began crying softly in his hands, wondering why fate had deemed it necessarily to entrap him within his own existence.


	23. Chapter 23

_Alrighty, new chapter! This chapter is...well, a little intense. Something's gonna happen here that some might find a little off-putting. If that's you, and you decide to quit mid-way through, just know there's a little author's note at the end about the thing that you might want to check out before you leave A-1 Al forever. I put a lot of elbow grease into this chapter to try to avoid that, but, well, I'm a writing novice, so it's always prudent to prepare for failure._

 _Anyways, as always, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and as always, please let me know what you think, bad or good!_

 _-T. Clemens_

It had been several months, and Matthew hadn't heard so much as a peep from Al. No letters, telegrams, nothing. Usually Matthew would shrug it off as him being busy, but this time, knowing what Al had planned to do when he returned to the states, Matthew was concerned.

He decided to write letters to York and Penn, to see if either of them knew what was going on. As an afterthought, he drafted brief notes to send to Francis and Arthur, to see if they had heard anything. He tried to put it out of mind while he waited for their responses, but it nagged him throughout each day despite his best efforts.

Over the course of two weeks, Matthew gradually got his replies. He tore them open as soon as they arrived in his mailbox, but they all more or less said the same thing, most concisely put in York's letter as "No." Frustrated, he tossed the last response, a lengthy, worrying letter from Arthur, in the trash. He flopped down tiredly onto his worn armchair, took off his glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The possibilities were endless, and in Matthew's mind, there was no end to the ways in which his brother could have caused trouble. He could have run away and gone AWOL with Lily, or by himself, or heck, he could've even picked up and moved to a whole new country. The countless letters he had sent to Al's apartment and other residences had all gone unanswered, which left tracking him down as Matthew's last resort. Unfortunately, Matthew didn't know when or even if he could get the okay from his boss to leave Canada to hunt down his brother, which meant there was really only one option left.

"I think that's right," Matthew muttered to himself, squinting at the smudged number on the slip in his hand. He waited for the operator to connect him, anxiously tapping his foot.

Suddenly there was an explosion of noise in his ear. Two people were yelling at each other on the other side of the call, and the volume practically shattered Matthew's eardrums.

"Queens, I'm on the phone! Shut your kisser!" Matthew heard York yell. A woman's voice screeched back, and Matthew flinched as York shouted, "Well, I'd know who it was if you'd let me answer the damn thing!"

"Hello?" York said calmly.

"Ah, hi Henry, it's Can-Matthew."

"Don't worry, it's just you and me. And a pain in my ass!" he yelled back to Queens, who snapped back unintelligibly.

"Anyways, York, I got your response, and well, you wouldn't happen to know if Al-America, moved again, would you?" Matthew stuttered.

"Can't say I do. Look, Canada, I get that you worry about your brother, but honestly, he's probably fine. There's no need to get your panties in a twist. HEY! Did I ask your opinion?!" he snapped at the woman in the background.

"Look, York, I know I've taken up a lot of your time with this, but I know my brother, and I've got a bad feeling about this," Matthew countered. "I know it's asking a lot, but could you please just pop over to his apartment and check to see if he's there? I don't know if I can get away to do it myself, and I'm losing my mind over here worrying. Please York."

"I'm sorry, but I've got my hands full as it is without babysitting your brother. Nice talking to you."

"No, York, wait!"

The line went dead.

Matthew slammed the earpiece onto the receiver, and swore. He took a deep breath, calmed his temper, and then picked up the phone again, ready to plead like hell to his boss.

Matthew stepped off the boat feeling terrible, but he didn't stop to sit down and calm his reeling stomach. He hurried to the end of the wharf, but stopped to marvel at the sheer number of people trying to buy today's paper from a clearly overwhelmed newsie. He saw one man get up from a bench and toss the paper in the trash, shaking his head. Matthew went over, fished it out, and stared at the headline. He tucked it under his arm, and stepped out into the street to flag a taxi.

Matthew pressed the buzzer repeatedly to no avail, but he caught a lucky break when the woman cleaning the foyer saw him and let him in. He thanked her, and bounded up the rickety stairs as fast as his legs would take him.

He knocked gently but firmly on Al's apartment door, and then put his ear against the wood to see if he could hear any movement. He heard nothing, save the sound of the lights buzzing in the hallway. He pulled away, and decided to try again.

"Al, it's Mattie! Open up!" he shouted, pounding on the door harder and harder. He gave up, pulled away, and stared at the door with his hands behind his head.

"Oh, Al, long time no see." Matthew looked up to see the landlord making his way over. "Oh, wait, you're not Al. His brother, or something, I guess?"

"Yeah. Do you happen to know where he is?" Matthew asked, an edge of frustration in his voice. "I haven't heard from him in a while, and I'm starting to get worried."

"'Fraid I don't know. I haven't seen anyone leave or enter that apartment for a while. Still, the rent's getting paid each month, so I don't know what to think."

"I see. Thanks anyways," Matthew said dejectedly.

"Tell you what kid, I've got a spare key here, do you want to go in and poke around? Can't say you'll find anything useful, but who knows?"

"Really? Thank you so much." Matthew perked up, and watched him fish out the key, unlock the door, and open it.

"Go right on in. I'll come along and relock it later for you. And hey, best of luck with your brother."

"Thank you." Matthew stepped inside, and the door closed behind him.

As soon as he stepped into the apartment, Matthew's heart sank. The place was a wreck. On just about every surface there were filled ashtrays and empty bottles of booze, and Matthew could hear broken glass crunch beneath his shoes as he inspected the carnage. It was obvious that Al had been living here for a while, due to the sheer amount of dirty dishes in the sink, but the craters in the wall and shattered picture frames didn't soothe Matthew's worries. He crept up to the living room, and nothing was out of the ordinary, save a dented cookie tin sitting on the coffee table. Matthew peeped in the bathroom, and grimaced at the broken glass and drops of blood strewn on the white tiles. A nail gave way and a shattered mirror fell onto the ground with a loud crash, making Matthew jump. He paused and took a breath, trying to calm his racing pulse and shaking hands.

The only room that remained uninspected was the bedroom. Matthew steeled himself as he gripped the door handle, and like someone ripping off a bandaid, he turned the handle and swung the door open in one, quick, fluid motion.

Matthew looked up, and took in a sharp breath.

Al was lying in bed, slumped against the headboard. Blood and bits of brain matter decorated the wood behind him, forming a grotesque halo around his blonde head. His eyes were blank and fixed on the empty space, resembling a porcelain doll's glassy, unseeing eyes. Matthew was reeling from the smell, and he felt like he couldn't breathe. " _Oh my god. He's dead. He's dead. I'm too late,"_ Matthew panicked.

Then Al's deadened, bloodshot eyes blinked, and Matthew could finally breathe.

"Hi Matthew," he said slowly, his voice cracking like it hadn't been used in a while. A shaking hand lifted his half-smoked cigarette to his mouth. He slowly drew, and exhaled.

"Oh God, Al, what have you done?" Matthew choked out, slowly making his way closer to the bed.

"I wouldn't look back there if I was you," Al warned. Matthew ignored him, and peered at the back of his head.

Matthew threw up in his mouth. The back of Al's head was blown apart, leaving a massive, raw, infected wound. It had started to heal, but Matthew could still see the recently re-knitted skull among the inflamed, oozing flesh. He pulled away reeling, and he fought the urge to vomit. He leaned against the end table for support, his hand knocking a small revolver off the table.

"Al, what have you done?" Matthew repeated in shock. He sat down at the foot of the bed, ignoring the filthiness of the sheets, and put his face in his hands. There were a million things he wanted to say, but his throat was clenched with emotion, so they sat in silence.

Al spoke up, his voice soft but gravely. "You know, Mattie, it was an interesting experience. For a split second, everything went black and it felt like I went with it. But then I woke up again a day or so later with a killer headache. So it goes. Still, I guess it didn't hurt to try."

"Didn't hurt to try?" Matthew choked out. "Do you really think that?"

Al stared at him blankly through his shadowed eyes, and Matthew fought the urge to hit him.

"Take a look at this, and tell me it 'didn't hurt to try'." Matthew tossed the newspaper onto the bed, and Al gingerly picked it up. He unfolded it, flinching when he accidentally moved his head, and stared at the front page. Matthew could see his eyes moving down as he started to read the article, but they seemed unable to resist fixating on the headline of "WALL STREET IN PANIC AS STOCKS CRASH".

"October 29th, 1929. That's when you decided it 'couldn't hurt to try', isn't it?" Matthew said darkly.

Al looked away.

"By God, Al, I don't know what's the cause and what's the effect. We nations never do. We either matter more than anything to these people, or we don't matter at all. It used to keep me up at night, and then I realized that it doesn't matter, that either way, I've got to live like it does, just because there's a chance it might matter. Just because there's a chance I hold millions of lives in the palm of my hand."

"It's not fair," Al muttered.

"Of course it's not fair! But what the hell is complaining about it gonna do?! What the hell is shooting yourself going to do?! At the end of the day, you've got to live with the hand life dealt you, 'cause there's nothing you can change about it," Matthew shouted. Al hung his head, and Matthew softened. "Look, Al, you think none of us understand, but we really do. It's lonely as hell, and it can be stressful and miserable, but there isn't anything I can change about it, so I make the best of it. Why are you shaking?"

Al looked up, and Matthew realized he was giggling. "Aboot," he echoed. He kept chuckling, and then at some undefinable point, the laughs morphed into tears, and he started crying.

"Oh Al," Matthew sighed.

"I'm sorry," Al sobbed. "I-I just wanted to be loved. I was so happy, and when I had to let her go, she said she hated me, and god, I just want to go back! I was in love and I was happy like I had never been before, and then I had to hurt her and go back to my pathetic little life, and, I-I just can't take it anymore Mattie! I can't live like this anymore! I can't take being a nation anymore! I just wish I could disappear!" He put his face in his hands, and cried.

Mattie started patting him on the back. "I love you Al. You're my brother, and you're the only one in the world who notices me in a big meeting, even when I'm stuck sitting in a chair a foot shorter than everyone else's. You're the only one in the world who invites me from miles away to come over just to play catch, or walk around one of your cities, or heck, the only one who travels from miles away and shows up unannounced at my door just 'cause you felt like it."

"That was when I was trying to annex you," Al sniffled.

"A-Annex me? Eh, that's besides the point. What I'm trying to say Al, is that I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. I know you want to love and be loved by just about everybody, but I just want you to know that there are some people out there who do love you, even if they're miles away. Me, your states, Francis, even Arthur, when you two aren't at each other's throats. And I'm sure a part of Lily will always love you, but you'll be showing her more love by letting her be free, and by doing your job the best you can, than if you tried to keep living the impossible. Even if she never knows it, you'll be showing her more love by living and letting her go than you ever could by being together. There's a lot of people in this world who need you, Al."

Al pulled Matthew into a tight hug, and starting crying softly into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Mattie. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh, it's alright Al," Matthew consoled. "It's alright. Just let it out. You're alright. I'm gonna stay for a while, if that's okay."

Al nodded, and muttered something into Matthew's shoulder that sounded like a 'Thanks'. Matthew kept patting his back, and let him release all the built up emotion into his shirt.

Matthew looked up at the gruesome display dried into the wood of the headboard. Tears began streaming down his cheeks before he could stop them, and he found himself suddenly terrified by how close he had come to losing his brother.

 _Author's Note:_

 _So that's the chapter! So, as many of you probably have deduced, the 'thing' I was talking about was Al's attempted suicide. Now this is a_ _ **very**_ _sensitive issue, and one that deserves all the respect in the world in terms of its seriousness and gravity when one chooses to incorporate it in writing. I have revised and scrutinized this chapter over and over to try to make sure that I treat the issue with such respect, but, as aforementioned, I am very new to creative writing, and I am a flawed individual. Thus, I have plans B, C, D, E and F, in terms of how I could modify this chapter if I fail to provide this topic the adequate sensitivity and respect it deserves. If you think that its use here was inappropriate, or that I did not handle it properly, then please, please,_ _ **please**_ _send me a private message, and let me know. I will immediately remove the chapter, and rewrite it, if that is the case. I'm here writing in order to become a better writer, and I think part of becoming a good writer is knowing where the boundaries are, and knowing when not to cross them. Thus, if you believe I have crossed such a boundary, please send me a private message, and let me know._

 _Thank you guys for being such an amazing audience, and the last chapter should not be that far behind this one. I hope, for all its ups and downs, you guys have enjoyed A-1 Al._

 _Yours truly,_

 _T. Clemens_


	24. Chapter 24

Decades passed, and much of the world had changed. However, to America and his fellow nations, much, perhaps more than people realized, had stayed the same.

Penn sipped his cup of tea, happy to be alone with his thoughts and away from the crowd. America was hosting a reunion for the states at his colonial home in Connecticut, and it was the largest turn out Penn had ever seen. He attended most years, usually due to York's insistence, but always found himself dragging his feet about going. The drive never seemed to get any easier, and he always hated leaving his dog behind.

He set the cup down on a small table next to him, and stretched out in his armchair, enjoying the warmth of the small, crackling fire next to him. Contented, he pulled out a newspaper he had purchased at a rest stop, and unfolded it. He paged through it nonchalantly, until a name in the obituaries jumped out at him. He fanned the paper out, and read the entry.

Lily Sauers Brent, age 83, passed away peacefully this Thursday, October 22nd, 1992. She is succeeded by her two sons, James Jr. and Matthew Brent. She was an active, caring member of the community, with a history of dedication to her fellow man that found its beginnings in the Depression. She will certainly be missed by all who knew her. Flowers can be sent to…

Penn stopped reading there. He pulled out the page, and glanced up at America, who was laughing and entertaining a whole crowd of states by recounting his many adventures. Penn watched, deep in thought, mulling over his options. He then crumpled up the page, and gently tossed it into the fireplace.

York strode over. "Are you really reading a newspaper while all this is going on? C'mon, America's just about to get to the part where France pants England. You're missing out."

"Alright, alright, I'm on my way." Penn stood up, gave the ashes of the paper one last glance, and joined the rest of the group.

"I'll be right back, I just gotta grab a couple more snack trays from the fridge. No, no, I got it, thanks though!" Al walked out of the living area, and down the old hallway, a spring in his step. He always loved these little get togethers, and for all their grumbling and moaning, he had a feeling the states enjoyed them too. It was nice to get a break from all the work and politics, and these little parties were a great way to unwind. The only downside was that they cost him an arm and a leg; some of these states had appetites that almost rivaled his.

He walked past a small closet door, and then paused. He had lived in this house for centuries, but that little storage room always seemed to beckon him whenever he passed it. Unable to resist the urge, he walked to the door, turned the handle, and stepped inside, quietly closing the door behind him.

The room was dark, dank, and musty as usual. Al coughed as he clicked on the light, which buzzed softly in the gloom. He ran his hand over the old familiar groove in his old rifle, and blew the dust off England's handmade toy soldier set. A bright jumpsuit, a momento from his disco days, was draped over an old chest. He tossed it over his shoulder, and opened the chest, rummaging through it for anything interesting. His hand brushed something cool to the touch, and after some digging, he managed to pull it out.

The old Dutch tin was still in pretty good condition, except for the dent that marred its smooth exterior. Al ran his hand over it, and found himself thrown back into a different age, one with dingy speakeasies and sparkling dresses swishing in crowded, energy-filled rooms. He remembered the ecstasy of dancing under glittering lights, the nervous energy of kissing under a street light, and the soft joy of holding someone close to you on a chilly winter night. He remembered the terror of realizing that it was slipping away, and the despair when it was gone. Most of all though, he remembered her bright green eyes, and the love he still had for her after all these years. He stood there in the dark, looking at the tin with a sad, reminiscing smile on his face.

"Hey America, how you coming along with those sandwiches?!" Jersey yelled from the other room.

Al's head snapped up. "Just a minute!" he yelled over his shoulder. He set the tin next to the toy soldiers, turned off the light, and left, the door closing behind him with a soft, final click.

 _Thank you guys for being a great audience. I hope you enjoyed reading A-1 Al as much as I loved writing it. As always, criticism is welcome, so let me know what you thought of the story, good or bad! I don't know when or what my next story will be, but in the meantime, I wish you guys all the best._

 _Yours Truly,_


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